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The research surrounding animal social groups is really research in behavior and psychology. I had quite a few run in's with animal psychologists and animal trainers while I was training to be a biologist. At a zoo,the question always is:is the animal being treated fairly. A very important issue which has a huge amount of literature and expensive rearch behind it. The study of animal behavior begins with observing the animal in the wild. Jane Goodall's study of the Chimpanzee is a good book to take up to understand the work needed.It usually means long arduous hours taking notes and photos.

The trails the animsls make when traveling from one section of the woods to another are important to note. Also what are the individual animals involved.This usually means tagging and releasing animals.
A study should be long term and very consistent. Pitching a tent and hiding behind a blind in pouring rain is usually a common activity by behavioral biologists.
Finally any kind of social or communicative behavior between individuals or packs is noted. Jane Goodall began noting carnivorous behvior by Chimpanzees.She also saw they had an innate ability to make tools.
Usually a find such as the animals social ability to create living quarters ie a Orangutangs tree bough etc.is not discovered until well after the Orangutang is thoroughly studied by academics, taxonomists, artists and behaviorists.The rare siting of a human like behavior is often so hidden or cryptic to barely be noticed.
Animal social behavior is a brand new field,but the work is a direct extension of years of academic foot work.
Many good zoologists begin as photographers or artists. Others have taken on writing. The ability to hone one's own social skills will later prove productive for you and the animal you are studying. I like to consider myself a stewart of the environment.I am like the parent of the animal that I observe and draw and photograph for museum drawers.Every note I make is taken down by later generations of biologists. A zoologist is in a large family tree of knowledge learners and the twig of the tree is the animal he sees.
I've learned never to be anthropomorphic. Giving the animal a human personality does not give it justice. Many books nowadays take on anthropomorphism as a common subject matter.This is much to my chagrin.
Much of my days currently is rooting out the disease of anthropomorphism.I've created a black book with to books so far that border on religious perversity towards natural history. The shamrock is really a shamrock,but leprichauns I believe never did exist.

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