FOREST DOCTORS

Chimpanzees in Gabon's Loango National Park have been observed treating each others' wounds using insects - a unique demonstration of potentially advanced cultural activity

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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