According to the study of the Institute for the Study of Animal behavior Max Planck in Germany, scientists who studied the use of Capuchins on the Hikaron Island in Panama, recorded the previously unknown behavior of these monkeys.
In 2022-2023, more than 80 cameras for monitoring animals were installed on the island. Analysis of video recordings showed that cabcines not only use stones and sticks as tools, but also take away the cubs of other species – in particular, babies howling monkeys when they find themselves on the tops of the trees.
The reasons for this behavior are still unclear. Scientists suggest that capucins can be guided by parental instinct, which is why they “steal” the cubs of other species.
The results of the study are published in the journal Current Biology.