Drogon is an anomaly at the Lomas Barbudal Monkey Project! For years, Drogon travelled between Celeste's group of monkeys and Pelon group of monkeys. He generally received "warm welcomes" from monkeys in both groups. This is atypical for a white-faced capuchin. Male capuchins generally migrate from their natal groups when they reach maturity, and many males will move to different groups several more times throughot their lives. However, it is not typical for an individual to switch between two groups day by day. But, Drogon pulled it off!

In March 2024, Drogon surprised us by swapping places with the previous alpha male of Celeste's group, Mikumi. Now, Drogon is the alpha male of Celeste's group, and Mikumi is subordinate to the alpha male of Pelon group, Gossip. Mikumi's move made some sense, because he has many sons (potential allies) who have migrated to Pelon group over the years, and many of the adult females in Celeste's group are his daughters, so they are not viable mating partners. However, Drogon's move makes less sense, as he was actually pretty successful at siring offspring in Pelon group, despite his subordinate status. He has sired offspring with Corta, Thor, Tennenbaum and Camille! Only time will tell what is in store for these two males.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to learning more about these individuals in many years to come.

*Beautiful artwork by Juliane Damm.

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