Chapter 7 STUDYING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES IN GIBBONS (HYLOBATES SPP): METHODS AND APPLICATIONS

Social development and cognitive abilities in wild gibbons has received very little attention due to the difficulties of habituating enough animals for a large-scale study. Data from gibbons in captive situations (zoos, sanctuaries and rescue centers) can provide insight into the development of both social skills between individuals, and the development of cognitive abilities within the individual. Gibbon behavior in captivity has correlates to gibbon behavior in the wild and can be used to infer why certain aspects of social or cognitive behavior are seen in the more demanding and complex wild environment. I will present data collected from gibbons in a sanctuary (UK), a rehabilitation centre (Indonesia) and the wild (Indonesia) highlighting the development of social skills and cognitive abilities. Data were collected in a variety of ways and I will discuss the methods and their applicability under different conditions. Data will be presented on object manipulation and tool use and will challenge the assumptions that gibbons are inadequate tool users among the apes. I will also challenge the notion that gibbons have poor social interactions in the wild. The study of social development at al