1
|
Hockings KJ, Mubemba B, Avanzi C, Pleh K, Düx A, Bersacola E, Bessa J, Ramon M, Metzger S, Patrono LV, Jaffe JE, Benjak A, Bonneaud C, Busso P, Couacy-Hymann E, Gado M, Gagneux S, Johnson RC, Kodio M, Lynton-Jenkins J, Morozova I, Mätz-Rensing K, Regalla A, Said AR, Schuenemann VJ, Sow SO, Spencer JS, Ulrich M, Zoubi H, Cole ST, Wittig RM, Calvignac-Spencer S, Leendertz FH. Leprosy in wild chimpanzees. Nature 2021; 598:652-656. [PMID: 34646009 PMCID: PMC8550970 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03968-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Humans are considered as the main host for Mycobacterium leprae1, the aetiological agent of leprosy, but spillover has occurred to other mammals that are now maintenance hosts, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels2,3. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates4-7, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau and Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Longitudinal monitoring of both populations revealed the progression of disease symptoms compatible with advanced leprosy. Screening of faecal and necropsy samples confirmed the presence of M. leprae as the causative agent at each site and phylogenomic comparisons with other strains from humans and other animals show that the chimpanzee strains belong to different and rare genotypes (4N/O and 2F). These findings suggest that M. leprae may be circulating in more wild animals than suspected, either as a result of exposure to humans or other unknown environmental sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley J Hockings
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA - NOVA FCSH), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Benjamin Mubemba
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Charlotte Avanzi
- Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kamilla Pleh
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Ariane Düx
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elena Bersacola
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA - NOVA FCSH), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Bessa
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA - NOVA FCSH), Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marina Ramon
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sonja Metzger
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Livia V Patrono
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny E Jaffe
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Andrej Benjak
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Camille Bonneaud
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Philippe Busso
- Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann
- Laboratoire National d'Appui au Développement Agricole/Laboratoire Central de Pathologie Animale, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Moussa Gado
- Programme National de Lutte Contre la Lèpre, Ministry of Public Health, Niamey, Niger
| | - Sebastien Gagneux
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Roch C Johnson
- Centre Interfacultaire de Formation et de Recherche en Environnement pour le Développement Durable, University of Abomey-Calavi, Jericho, Cotonou, Benin
- Fondation Raoul Follereau, Paris, France
| | - Mamoudou Kodio
- Centre National d'Appui à la Lutte Contre la Maladie, Bamako, Mali
| | | | - Irina Morozova
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Mätz-Rensing
- Pathology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Aissa Regalla
- Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas, Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva (IBAP), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Abílio R Said
- Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas, Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva (IBAP), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | - Samba O Sow
- Centre National d'Appui à la Lutte Contre la Maladie, Bamako, Mali
| | - John S Spencer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Markus Ulrich
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hyacinthe Zoubi
- Programme National d'Elimination de la Lèpre, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Stewart T Cole
- Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Fabian H Leendertz
- Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wojciechowski FJ, Kaszycka KA, Otadoy JB. Utilizing local community knowledge of the Philippine tarsier in assessing the Bilar population endangerment risk, and implications for conservation. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
3
|
Chimpanzees balance resources and risk in an anthropogenic landscape of fear. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4569. [PMID: 33633129 PMCID: PMC7907193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83852-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife coexistence is possible when animals can meet their ecological requirements while managing human-induced risks. Understanding how wildlife balance these trade-offs in anthropogenic environments is crucial to develop effective strategies to reduce risks of negative interactions, including bi-directional aggression and disease transmission. For the first time, we use a landscape of fear framework with Bayesian spatiotemporal modelling to investigate anthropogenic risk-mitigation and optimal foraging trade-offs in Critically Endangered western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Using 12 months of camera trap data (21 camera traps, 6722 camera trap days) and phenology on wild and cultivated plant species collected at Caiquene–Cadique, Cantanhez National Park (Guinea-Bissau), we show that humans and chimpanzees broadly overlapped in their use of forest and anthropogenic parts of the habitat including villages and cultivated areas. The spatiotemporal model showed that chimpanzee use of space was predicted by the availability of naturalised oil-palm fruit. Chimpanzees used areas away from villages and agriculture more intensively, but optimised their foraging strategies by increasing their use of village areas with cultivated fruits when wild fruits were scarce. Our modelling approach generates fine-resolution space–time output maps, which can be scaled-up to identify human-wildlife interaction hotspots at the landscape level, informing coexistence strategy.
Collapse
|
4
|
Hockings KJ, Parathian H, Bessa J, Frazão-Moreira A. Extensive Overlap in the Selection of Wild Fruits by Chimpanzees and Humans: Implications for the Management of Complex Social-Ecological Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
5
|
Vieira WF, Kerry C, Hockings KJ. A comparison of methods to determine chimpanzee home-range size in a forest-farm mosaic at Madina in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau. Primates 2019; 60:355-365. [PMID: 30982104 PMCID: PMC6612355 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human activities impact the distribution of numerous species. Anthropogenic habitats are often fragmented, and wildlife must navigate through human-influenced and 'natural' parts of the landscape to access resources. Different methods to determine the home-range areas of nonhuman primates have not considered the additional complexities of ranging in anthropogenic areas. Here, using 6 months of spatial data on the distribution of chimpanzee presence (feces, feeding traces, nests, opportunistic encounters; n = 833) collected across the wet and dry seasons, we examine different analytical techniques to calculate the home-range size of an unhabituated chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) community inhabiting a forest-farm mosaic at Madina, Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau. The minimum convex polygon method and the grid cell (500 m × 500 m cell size) method estimated the chimpanzees home-range size at 19.02 and 15.50 km2, respectively with kernel analysis calculating a lower value of 8.52 km2. For the grid cell method, home-range estimates varied with cell size, with larger cells producing larger estimates. We compare our home-range estimates with other chimpanzee research sites across Africa. We recommend the use of kernel analysis for determining primate home ranges, especially for those groups exploiting fragmented habitats including forest-farm mosaics, as this method takes account of inaccessible or infrequently used anthropogenic areas across the complete home range of the primate group. However, care must be taken when using this method, since it is sensitive to small sample sizes that can occur when studying unhabituated communities, resulting in underestimated home ranges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wilson F Vieira
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA NOVA FCSH), Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, New University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Chris Kerry
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Kimberley J Hockings
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA NOVA FCSH), Lisbon, Portugal.
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Exploring Local Perceptions of and Attitudes toward Endangered François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in a Human-Modified Habitat. INT J PRIMATOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-019-00091-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
7
|
Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Parathian HE, McLennan MR, Hill CM, Frazão-Moreira A, Hockings KJ. Breaking Through Disciplinary Barriers: Human-Wildlife Interactions and Multispecies Ethnography. INT J PRIMATOL 2018; 39:749-775. [PMID: 30573938 PMCID: PMC6267646 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0027-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One of the main challenges when integrating biological and social perspectives in primatology is overcoming interdisciplinary barriers. Unfamiliarity with subject-specific theory and language, distinct disciplinary-bound approaches to research, and academic boundaries aimed at "preserving the integrity" of subject disciplines can hinder developments in interdisciplinary research. With growing interest in how humans and other primates share landscapes, and recognition of the importance of combining biological and social information to do this effectively, the disparate use of terminology is becoming more evident. To tackle this problem, we dissect the meaning of what the biological sciences term studies in "human-wildlife conflict" or more recently "human-wildlife interactions" and compare it to what anthropology terms "multispecies ethnography." In the biological sciences, human-wildlife interactions are the actions resulting from people and wild animals sharing landscapes and resources, with outcomes ranging from being beneficial or harmful to one or both species. In the social sciences, human-nonhuman relationships have been explored on a philosophical, analytical, and empirical level. Building on previous work, we advocate viewing landscapes through an interdisciplinary "multispecies lens" in which humans are observed as one of multiple organisms that interact with other species to shape and create environments. To illustrate these interconnections we use the case study of coexistence between people of the Nalu ethnic group and Critically Endangered western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau, to demonstrate how biological and social research approaches can be complementary and can inform conservation initiatives at the human-primate interface. Finally, we discuss how combining perspectives from ethnoprimatology with those from multispecies ethnography can advance the study of ethnoprimatology to aid productive discourse and enhance future interdisciplinary research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Parathian
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA-FCSH/NOVA), 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matthew R. McLennan
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment and Development, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK
- Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, P.O. Box 245, Hoima, Uganda
| | - Catherine M. Hill
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment and Development, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK
| | - Amélia Frazão-Moreira
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA-FCSH/NOVA), 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1069-061 Portugal
| | - Kimberley J. Hockings
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA-FCSH/NOVA), 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 1069-061 Portugal
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
Complexities of local cultural protection in conservation: the case of an Endangered African primate and forest groves protected by social taboos. ORYX 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605317001223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractGlobally, some species and habitats receive protection through local belief systems (e.g. indigenous religions) and informal institutions (e.g. social norms and taboos). Where such systems represent the only form of protection for threatened species or environments, they may be critical to the survival of those taxa and sites. We evaluated the effectiveness of long-standing social taboos protecting the Endangered Sclater's monkey Cercopithecus sclateri and forest groves in a community complex in Nigeria. Across its range (southern Nigeria), Sclater's monkey is effectively protected only through informal institutions. At our study site, we conducted a census of the monkey population; measured the area of sacred groves; and compared our findings with estimates from 2010 and 2005, respectively. We observed a 36% increase in the monkey population (from 249 to 339 individuals) in a core survey area. No groves that we assessed in 2005 had been fully cleared. Although we observed a decline in tree cover for several sacred forests, most groves used regularly by monkeys had changed little. The social taboos related to monkeys and sacred groves remain largely intact; however, other factors threaten the monkey population and remaining forests in this community complex, including the removal of tree patches to accommodate the construction of large residential buildings and the demand for cropland, as well as increased dumping of waste in forested sites. This study highlights the conservation importance and limitations of local cultural protection, as well as the challenges presented when such protection conflicts with community-perceived development needs.
Collapse
|
11
|
Sousa J, Hill CM, Ainslie A. Chimpanzees, sorcery and contestation in a protected area in Guinea-Bissau. SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1469-8676.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Sousa
- Department of Environmental Sciences; Universidade Lusófona da Guiné; Bissau Guinea-Bissau
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment & Development; Oxford Brookes University; Oxford UK
| | - Catherine M. Hill
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment & Development; Oxford Brookes University; Oxford UK
| | - Andrew Ainslie
- International Development Research Group, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development; University of Reading; Reading UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Frazão-Moreira A. Challenging approaches and crossovers in anthropology and conservation in Guinea-Bissau. ETNOGRAFICA 2016. [DOI: 10.4000/etnografica.4762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
13
|
Senthilkumar K, Mathialagan P, Manivannan C, Jayathangaraj MG, Gomathinayagam S. A study on the tolerance level of farmers toward human-wildlife conflict in the forest buffer zones of Tamil Nadu. Vet World 2016; 9:747-52. [PMID: 27536037 PMCID: PMC4983127 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2016.747-752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this work was to study the tolerance level of farmers toward different human-wildlife conflict (HWC) situations. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 24 villages of nine blocks from Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Erode, and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu by personally interviewing 240 farmers affected with four different HWC situations such as human-elephant conflict (HEC), human-wild pig conflict (HPC), human-gaur conflict (HGC), and human-monkey conflict (HMC). A scale developed for this purpose was used to find out the tolerance level of the farmers. Results: In general, the majority (61.70%) of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC, whereas 25.40% and 12.90% belonged to a high and low category, respectively. The mean tolerance level of the farmer’s encountering HMC is low (8.77) among the other three wild animal conflicts. In tackling HWC, the majority (55.00%) of the HEC farmers drove the elephant once it entered into their farmland. In the HPC, more than three-fourths of the respondents drove away the wild pig once they were found in farmlands. With regard to the HMC, a less number of them (1.70%) drove the monkey away if monkeys were spotted in their village. With regard to HGC, 95.00% of the respondents frightened the gaurs if their family members were threatened by gaurs. Conclusion: The present study suggests that that majority of the farmers had medium level of tolerance toward HWC. The tolerance level of the HMC farmers was lower than other three HWC affected farmers. This study emphasizes the need for necessary training to tackle the problem in an effective manner for wild animal conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Senthilkumar
- Department of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - P Mathialagan
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - C Manivannan
- University Publication Division, Directorate of Distance Education, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - M G Jayathangaraj
- Department of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Gomathinayagam
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hockings KJ, McLennan MR. Problematic Primate Behaviour in Agricultural Landscapes: Chimpanzees as ‘Pests’ and ‘Predators’. ETHNOPRIMATOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30469-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
15
|
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Diet Composition and Food Availability in a Human-Modified Landscape at Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park, Guinea-Bissau. INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
16
|
Bessa J, Sousa C, Hockings KJ. Feeding ecology of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) inhabiting a forest-mangrove-savanna-agricultural matrix at Caiquene-Cadique, Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:651-65. [PMID: 25800459 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
With rising conversion of "natural" habitat to other land use such as agriculture, nonhuman primates are increasingly exploiting areas influenced by people and their activities. Despite the conservation importance of understanding the ways in which primates modify their behavior to human pressures, data are lacking, even for well-studied species. Using systematically collected data (fecal samples, feeding traces, and direct observations), we examined the diet and feeding strategies of an unhabituated chimpanzee community (Pan troglodytes verus) at Caiquene-Cadique in Guinea-Bissau that inhabit a forest-savanna-mangrove-agricultural mosaic. The chimpanzees experienced marked seasonal variations in the availability of plant foods, but maintained a high proportion of ripe fruit in the diet across months. Certain wild species were identified as important to this community including oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis) fruit and flower. Honey was frequently consumed but no other insects or vertebrates were confirmed to be eaten by this community. However, we provide indirect evidence of possible smashing and consumption of giant African snails (Achatina sp.) by chimpanzees at this site. Caiquene-Cadique chimpanzees were confirmed to feed on nine different agricultural crops, which represented 13.6% of all plant species consumed. Consumption of fruit and nonfruit crops was regular, but did not increase during periods of wild fruit scarcity. Crop consumption is an increasing and potentially problematic behavior, which can impact local people's tolerance toward wildlife. To maximize the potential success of any human-wildlife coexistence strategy (e.g., to reduce primate crop feeding), knowledge of primate behavior, as well as multifaceted social dimensions of interactions, is critical.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Bessa
- Centre for Research in Anthropology, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Sousa
- Centre for Research in Anthropology, Lisbon, Portugal.,Department of Anthropology, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Kimberley J Hockings
- Centre for Research in Anthropology, Lisbon, Portugal.,Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment and Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Sousa J, Casanova C, Barata AV, Sousa C. The effect of canopy closure on chimpanzee nest abundance in Lagoas de Cufada National Park, Guinea-Bissau. Primates 2014; 55:283-92. [PMID: 24408762 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0402-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to gather baseline information about chimpanzee nesting and density in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park (LCNP), in Guinea-Bissau. Old and narrow trails were followed to estimate chimpanzee density through marked-nest counts and to test the effect of canopy closure (woodland savannah, forest with a sparse canopy, and forest with a dense canopy) on nest distribution. Chimpanzee abundance was estimated at 0.79 nest builders/km(2), the lowest among the areas of Guinea-Bissau with currently studied chimpanzee populations. Our data suggest that sub-humid forest with a dense canopy accounts for significantly higher chimpanzee nest abundance (1.50 nests/km of trail) than sub-humid forest with a sparse canopy (0.49 nests/km of trail) or woodland savannah (0.30 nests/km of trail). Dense-canopy forests play an important role in chimpanzee nesting in the patchy and highly humanized landscape of LCNP. The tree species most frequently used for nesting are Dialium guineense (46%) and Elaeis guineensis (28%). E. guineensis contain nests built higher in the canopy, while D. guineense contain nests built at lower heights. Nests observed during baseline sampling and replications suggest seasonal variations in the tree species used for nest building.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Sousa
- Departamento de Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas (FCSH), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Berna, 26-C, 1069-061, Lisbon, Portugal.,Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.,Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon University, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Casanova
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon University, Lisbon, Portugal.,CAPP-Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Unidade de Antropologia, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (ISCSP) da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Cláudia Sousa
- Departamento de Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas (FCSH), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Berna, 26-C, 1069-061, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA), Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|