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Underlying mechanisms of crop-raiding by Chacma baboons (Papio h. ursinus)

Research unit

UMR 7178 - IPHC, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE)
23 rue Becquerel, 67087 STRASBOURG cedex 2

Group

Name: Ethologie Evolutive

Group leader: PETIT Odile - odile.petit@iphc.cnrs.fr

Group leader's phone: 0388107457

Group organization:
- Chercheurs: 4
- ITA: 2
- Doctorants: 4
- Post-Docs: 2
- Autres: 4

Publications of the team linked to the topic (3 last years):
1) Bret, C., Sueur, C., Verrier, D., Ngoubangoye, B., Deneubourg, J.L. & Petit, O. (2013). Social structure of a semi-free ranging group of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx): a social network analysis. PLoS ONE 8(12): e83015. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083015
2) Bourjade, M., Thierry, B., Hausberger, M. & Petit, O. (2015). Is Leadership a reliable concept in animals? An empirical study case in the horse. PlosOne. 10(5): e0126344. DOI:10.1371/journal. pone.0126344
3) Briard L., Dorn C. & Petit O. (2015). Personality and affinities play a key role in the organisation of collective movements in a group of domestic horses. Ethology. 121: 888–902. DOI: 10.1111/eth.12402

About PhD

PhD Director: PETIT Odile - odile.petit@iphc.cnrs.fr

Phone: 0388107457

Junior advisor: non

Co-tutely: non

Co-Director: DUFOUR Valérie
University of Co-Director: Unistra

About PhD topic :

Title: Underlying mechanisms of crop-raiding by Chacma baboons (Papio h. ursinus)

Project: In Africa, crop-raiding by baboons is a major source of conflict that negatively affect humans' livelihoods and wildlife conservation. In Zimbabwe where nearly two-third of the population live below the poverty level, people heavily rely on subsistence farming; crop raiding therefore has devastating effects on local food security, economy as well as farmers' welfare. Not only for people but also for animals as, driven by a need for high-quality and easy obtainable food they move into people's field in most cases signing their own death sentence. At the periphery of Hwange National Park, baboons seem to be the main culprits of crop-raiding, thus highly vulnerable to retaliatory killing. The overall aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of crop-raiding by chacma baboons (Papio h. ursinus). Crop raiding in the wild provides a perfect open-air laboratory to study and model anti-predatory behaviours, collective decisions and consensus when a group is confronted with an uncertain context or danger. This study will investigate whether a group decision to perform crop raiding is the result of a trade-off between individual and social information, and how social relationships within the groups influence collective decision-making through field observations and experimental approaches, respectively.
The better understanding of those mechanisms will help us to build with local stakeholders a fine-tuned management tool both mitigating crop-raiding events and promoting the long-term preservation of social raiders living alongside humans.

Wished skills: Theoretical and practical skills
Thorough knowledge in ethology (theory and behavioural data measuring), Ecology and Economy
Capabilities and experience to establish and to apply behavioural studies protocols
Knowledge in video-processing
Being able to perform a scientific reflection
Knowledge in English
Experience with primates

Expertises which will be acquired during the training: To acquire and master statistical analyses of biological data (multivariate analysis, regressions, ACP)
Modelling
To become familiar with statistical and video-processing software
Article drafting and scientific publications
Oral presentation, communication of scientific results at international conferences