Research

Female Fanny grooming juvenileInfant Bernieunknown 14InfantsFemale Kim with infant Kaya and juvenileunknown 23Male Frodo showing threat expressionSubadult female Merlin in Dam groupunknown 15unknown 1Bonnet macaque infantsView on hanging bridgeunknown 2Juveniles sleepingunknown 13unknown 16Juvenile from Eco groupBonnet macaque infantMale Howard from Dam groupFemale Scarlet feeding on flowersFemales in Dam groupFemale Kim with newborn infant KayaSubadult male Inounknown 11Female Funny Nose with infant in Dam groupFemale Pinduli from Eco groupunknown 12unknown 20unknown 21Female Amy from Eco groupInfant from Eco on motorbikeMale Pirate grooming male Victorunknown 7Sleeping malesunknown 19Funny Nose with infant from Dam groupFemales from Dam group sleeting togetherunknown 28unknown 27unknown 10Female Spikey with infant in Eco groupunknown 5unknown 17unknown 18Juvenile female Brave resting on carunknown 3unknown 4Sleeping adult males from Dam groupunknown 29unknown 26unknown 22Infant Bernieunknown 25Juvenile female BraveMale Howard from Dam groupunknown 9Female Bella from Dam groupFemale Tess with infant Truffle from Dam groupMale unknownunknown 6Male Frodo from Dam groupunknown 8unknown 24Female Ashoka from Dam 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.