Social foraging in vervet monkeys

During my MSc, I collected three months of behavioural data and designed a field experiment to assess social foraging strategies and feeding success in wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) at Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. We found that lower-ranking individuals who were tolerated at the food site enjoyed comparable feeding success as dominants. Our finding emphasizes the need to understand factors influencing feeding tolerance, particularly for subordinate individuals, who need to process ecological and social elements to maximize their food acquisition.