Evidence of Placentophagia and Mother-Infant Cannibalism in Free-Ranging Macaca mulatta tcheliensis in Mount Taihangshan, Jiyuan, China

Folia Primatol (Basel). 2016;87(6):381-391. doi: 10.1159/000455845. Epub 2017 Feb 25.

Abstract

Placentophagia or the consumption of the afterbirth is reported in many primate species, whereas cannibalism is a relatively rare event. Based on our field observations over the course of 3 years, we present evidence of placentophagia and mother-infant cannibalism in a free-ranging population of the Taihangshan macaque, Macaca mulatta tcheliensis, in the Mt. Taihangshan area, Jiyuan, Henan, China. We documented 1 case in which a mother consumed the afterbirth of her infant. In a second instance, we observed a fresh placenta discarded on the ground by an unknown individual. We also present a description of the first documented instance of mother-infant cannibalism in the same group of free-ranging rhesus macaques.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cannibalism*
  • China
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Macaca mulatta / physiology*
  • Maternal Behavior*
  • Placenta*
  • Pregnancy