Capuchin Monkeys kidnapped Baby Hawler monkeys on Jicarón Island of Panama, reveals new studies

A strange case of kidnapping Baby Houler monkeys by five capuchin monkeys has recently been reported in a research paper published on May 19, 2025 in current biology. The incident is seen on the Island island, away from the coast of Panama, where capuchin monkeys live. However, this is no purpose of this kidnapping, it is fatal to small people who kidnapped. Capuchins have been seen doing bizarre, strange and dark things by Brandon Barrett, a evolutionary behavior at Max Planck Institute, Germany. Such behavior can be reflected that what we humans do, they further said.

Kidnapping in primates is showing care in general matters

Primates have been seen abducting during the last decades, and it is not so rare. Macak is seen stealing their children from each other. Young male capuchin snatched infants to keep a child in the handling location. A evolutionary humanist in UCLA said That they also kidnap infants to take care of them and thus snatch them from their mothers and run away for a while. However, when the babies are hungry, they come back.

Baby Houler Kidnapping is still a surprise

It was really surprising when he saw a member of the Capuchin Group to take a Houler monkey on his back, “Bararett said. Initially, he felt that Hawler Capuchin was one each, then he took another picture of him backwards.

Research observation

Barrett said Research published in current biology The five male capuchin teenager snatched 11 houler infants with them. Four infants died during the study period. There were some one or two youths on kidnapping. The team was not able to find out where they met the children. Then they found footage of a call lost by a Houler monkey from a tree for their child. Meanwhile, one of Capuchin threatened Havellers. This gave clarity about the kidnapping.

The reason is still unknown

The reason for their kidnapping is still known because they are not eating dead people. However, there may be a case that Jicarón Capuchins has lacking predators and so they want to kill their island boredom. Barrett said that infant theft could be stimulating for them. There is still scope to find out what they do on the island.