Post-Conflict Affiliation in Two Captive Groups of Black-and-White Guereza Colobus guereza

Post‐conflict affiliation was studied in two captive groups of black‐and‐white guereza (Colobus guereza), a folivorous, arboreal species which lives in harems. The overall level of aggression was low and each individual was involved in only 0.054 aggressive interactions per hour. After 132 aggressive interactions observed during 364 h, former antagonists were found to seek each other out selectively and exchange affiliative behaviours. The first affiliative behaviour was likely to occur within the first minute after the end of the conflict. The post‐conflict affiliative behaviours most often seen were proximity, social grooming, embrace, reciprocal low‐intensity mouth‐opening, groom present and gentle hand touch, in descending order. The pattern of post‐conflict affiliation is thus similar to that observed in most other primate species studied. One notable exception seems to be the relatively high proportion of conflicts after which former opponents continue to remain within arm's reach (in 1/3 of the conflicts). If these instances of remaining‐in‐proximity were excluded, the corrected conciliatory tendency according to Veenema et al. (1994, Behav. Proc. 31, 29–38) was 45% (60% if they were included).