Intergroup interactions in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus), Ghomaran Rif mountains, Morocco

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Abstract
Data are presented on intergroup interactions between six groups of Macaca sylvanus in the Ghomaran region of the Moroccan Rif mountains. Intergroup encounters (0.026/observation hour) were defined as two groups being near each other (< 150 m). Encounters were further classified into: 1) neutral (indeterminate) encounters, in which very little intergroup interaction took place, with the exception of male monitoring (N = 7); 2) approach‐retreat encounters with intergroup displacement, in which, without any overt agonism, members of one group slowly approached another and caused it to retreat (N = 3); and 3) agonistic encounters with intergroup displacement (N = 3). These results are compared to the only other study of intergroup interactions in wild Barbary macaques, and it is concluded that 1) observations of intergroup unification and/or coordination of movement in Barbary macaques (“herding”) probably resulted from observer error, or if these phenomena do occur, they are rare throughout the range of this species; 2) approximately half of all intergroup encounters in both studies resulted in intergroup displacement and/or intergroup agonism, evidence of intergroup competition; and 3) current data on intergroup interactions in Barbary macaques conform to the predictions of Wrangham's model of mutually competitive female‐bonded, multimale groups.