Research

Infantsunknown 11Juvenile female BraveFemale Funny Nose with infant in Dam groupunknown 17Male Howard from Dam groupMale Frodo showing threat expressionFemale Ashoka from Dam groupBonnet macaque infantsSubadult male Inounknown 2Male unknownunknown 3Female Fanny grooming juvenileFemale Amy from Eco groupunknown 26Female Kim with infant Kaya and juvenileunknown 19unknown 9unknown 10Male Howard from Dam groupFemale Spikey with infant in Eco groupInfant Bernieunknown 8unknown 23unknown 5View on hanging bridgeunknown 4Male Frodo from Dam groupunknown 1Female Kim with newborn infant Kayaunknown 18Subadult female Merlin in Dam groupunknown 27Male Pirate grooming male VictorSleeping malesunknown 29Female Tess with infant Truffle from Dam groupFunny Nose with infant from Dam groupunknown 20Females from Dam group sleeting togetherJuveniles sleepingunknown 21unknown 22unknown 15unknown 6Juvenile from Eco groupunknown 25unknown 28Infant BernieInfant from Eco on motorbikeunknown 16unknown 13Female Bella from Dam groupunknown 24unknown 7unknown 14Juvenile female Brave resting on carunknown 12Sleeping adult males from Dam groupBonnet macaque infantFemales in Dam groupFemale Scarlet feeding on flowersFemale Pinduli from Eco group

The Thenmala Macaque Project is a study of bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) population in India. The project is based at the Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Our work is carried out in collaboration with the University of Mysore (India) and University of California Davis (USA).

The aim of the Thenmala Macaque Project is to carry out research in behavioral ecology and conservation science. In addition to investigating the social dynamics and behavior of individuals, we are also interested in the effects of complex social structure and anthropogenic habitat on population dynamics and extinction.

The field work is carried out in Thenmala, Kerala, a part of the Western Ghats, in southern India. The study site consists of both human settlements and forest areas. From 2019 – 2022, we focused on maternal care and personality development, and worked with two troops comprising around 80 individually recognized macaques in total. Data collection on this aspect of the project is now complete, and we are currently in the process of publishing our results, which you can find in our News section.

Since 2022, we have shifted our focus to studying affiliative behavior and relationships between male bonnet macaques. Our main goal is to investigate how social bonds between males affect their mating success as well as their health.

Research permission in India is kindly provided by the National Biodiversity Authority and the Kerala Forest Department.