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Photo: Science |
When losing a loved one, the chacma baboons also seek comfort and support from other friends.
Researchers observed over 80 different baboons over a span of 14 years in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The results provided the first evidence that some animals mourn the loss of their peers, even when all the others seem unaffected. The findings also suggest that friendships are just as important to primates as they are to humans.
The researchers were particularly impressed by the behavior of a female baboon named Sylvia. She was dubbed the “stingy queen” and looked down on others, until she lost her daughter Sierra to a lion attack.
“In the week following Sierra’s death, Sylvia completely withdrew,” said Anne Engh, the project lead. “While other baboons gathered and groomed each other, she sat alone and rarely interacted with her relatives.”
Engh, a researcher in the Biology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, added: “After a week or two of sulking, Sylvia suddenly started conversing with some of the lower-ranking females. These animals seemed surprised and were initially frightened. Eventually, Sylvia built a close relationship with a very low-ranking female and with her daughter Sierra’s daughter, Margaret.”
Engh noted that grooming is a friendly behavior similar to two friends chatting while having a drink. This activity helps relax and reduce stress hormones. These hormones increase in both humans and baboons when a close friend or relative passes away.
The researchers measured the levels of the stress hormone glucocorticoid in Sylvia and 20 other females. The baboons that experienced a loss had a significant spike in this hormone. These grieving animals then expanded their social relationships by approaching and grooming other baboons, regardless of rank. This could help them cope with their loss, as the levels of stress hormones noticeably decreased afterward.
Engh also mentioned that there are cross-gender friendships among chacma baboons. In these relationships, females often groom males, while males protect the females and their offspring from bullying or attacks.
M.T.
