A landscape of intergroup conflict shapes den site choice in banded mongooses

Background For many social animals, intergroup conflict has major impacts on fitness and should therefore influence how groups navigate their environment. Yet most studies of group movement focus on the behaviour of single groups, usually foraging groups studied in isolation of all others. In many systems rival groups present both threats and opportunities, contributing to a landscape of intergroup conflict. This landscape could have a profound impact on group movement. Methods Here we test how the potential for intergroup conflict influences movement decisions of wild cooperatively breeding banded mongooses, using 14 years of behavioural and GPS data. In this species, encounters between groups can present both risks (e.g. injury/mortality) and opportunities (e.g., extragroup mating). We expected that, to minimise risks and maximise rewards, the motivation to engage in conflict would depend on the group's state. Such that vulnerable groups (those that were babysitting young offspring) would select den sites closer to the core of their territory than groups without young offspring. Results We found support for this pattern; non-babysitting groups were unusually risk prone choosing den locations in areas of frequent use by outgroups. During times of heightened recent conflict even choosing to den closer to the core of their rivals' territory than their own. Conclusions These results suggest that groups of banded mongooses choose den sites that reflect not only the risks but also the potential rewards of defensive or competitive claims on space. Rival groups thus form an integral part of the social landscape shaping patterns of collective movement.