Curious Capuchins? Panama Monkeys Caught Abducting Baby Howlers Without Care
By Matthew Eloy
In a strange twist of primate behavior, a group of male capuchin monkeys on Jicarón Island, Panama, have been observed abducting infant howler monkeys, carrying them around for days without offering care — a never-before-seen phenomenon that has left scientists baffled.
According to a report published Monday in the journal Current Biology, researchers have been monitoring the capuchins on the island since 2017. Known for their intelligence and use of stone tools to crack nuts and shellfish, these monkeys now appear to be displaying a new, unsettling behavior.
Zoë Goldsborough, from the Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Biology in Germany, made the initial discovery while reviewing footage from the network of cameras set up to observe the monkeys. She noticed a young male capuchin carrying what appeared to be a howler monkey infant.
Upon deeper review, Goldsborough found footage of four separate howler infants being carried, most frequently by a juvenile male capuchin nicknamed “Joker,” first spotted with an abducted baby in 2022.
“We came to the conclusion that it must be a single individual trying something new,” said Brendan Barrett, group leader at the Max Planck Institute. He noted that this wasn’t entirely surprising, given the species’ known curiosity.
However, five months later, footage revealed that the behavior had spread: four additional young male capuchins were also seen carrying howler monkey infants.
Initially, researchers considered whether the capuchins were attempting interspecies adoption. But the monkeys showed no nurturing behaviors — no feeding, no playing — only carrying.
Over a 15-month period, the team documented at least 11 abductions. The infants were carried for as long as nine days. Four were later found dead, and none of the others are believed to have survived.
“The capuchins didn’t harm the babies, but they could not provide the milk the infants needed to survive,” Goldsborough explained.
How the capuchins managed to capture the baby howlers remains unclear, but researchers emphasize that the monkeys live in a predator-free environment and are naturally inquisitive.
Though the scientists have yet to pinpoint a definitive reason for the abductions, one possible explanation stands out: boredom.
Whether this is an emerging social behavior or simply a grim curiosity gone too far remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that even among our clever primate cousins, new and puzzling behaviors continue to surprise.