On the ground
The Rekambo chimpanzee community (rekambo means 'where English is spoken' in the local language) consists of about 40 individuals. The Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team, led by Tobias Deschner and Simone Pika, head of the comparative biocognition research group at Osnabrück University's Institute of Cognitive Science, has documented previously unknown chimp behaviour in Gabon's Loango National Park.
Green mosaic
An aerial view of Loango National Park in Gabon. This protected natural paradise is a hotspot of biodiversity, containing a mosaic of different habitats including rainforest, wetlands, lagoons, savannahs, coastal rainforest, floodplains and mangrove forest. The park covers about 1,500km² and is managed by Gabon's National Agency for National Parks (ANPN).
Mum's taxi service
Sassandra, an infant Rekambo chimpanzee, enjoys a ride on her mother Suzee's back. Female chimps eventually leave their natal group to integrate into a new one. It took the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team more than 10 years to habituate this community and be able to observe their behaviour up close. The research project started in 2005.
Close watch
In six years of collecting detailed data on the Rekambo chimpanzee community, the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team has documented some startling behaviours, such as chimps attacking lowland gorillas, and even killing and eating one. They have also observed the use of tools, with chimpanzees using different-sized branches to dig out honey from underground beehives and crack open tortoise shells.
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