The effect of warning signs on the presence of snare traps in a Ugandan rainforest

BCFS receives core funding from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The Budongo Snare Removal Project is funded by Oakland Zoo. PF was funded by the European Research Council project grant to CC (grant agreement number: 679787). DPD was funded by the National Science Centre (grant number: 2020/04/X/NZ8/00865).Since chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) conservation often involves local human populations, conservation strategies must consider psychological factors that impact their behavior. In Budongo Forest, Uganda, for example, local communities commonly engage in snare trap (hereafter: snare) setting for wild meat. This illegal activity posits a substantial threat to wild chimpanzees, causing permanent wounds or death for those who are snared. Despite various schemes previously implemented to address snare setting?an activity that is fueled by poverty, the problem and its detrimental impact on chimpanzees persists. Here, we experimentally tested a novel intervention, a systematic display of specially designed warning signs aimed at local poachers. We monitored the presence of snares before and after introducing these signs over a total period of two years and compared it with that of a similar sized control area with no intervention. Results show that snares were less likely to be present during the ?sign? period than during the ?non-sign? period in the experimental but not in the control area. We discuss the potential of this cost-effective intervention for limiting illegal activities that pose a severe threat to chimpanzees and other species inhabiting tropical forests.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

First observation of a chimpanzee with albinism in the wild : social interactions and subsequent infanticide

Maël Leroux was funded via the Swiss National Science Foundation grant awarded to Simon W. Townsend (31003A_153065). Pawel Fedurek was funded via the European Research Council project grant awarded to Catherine Crockford (grant agreement number: 679787).Albinism- the congenital absence of pigmentation- is a very rare phenomenon in animals due to the significant costs to fitness of this condition. Both humans and non-human individuals with albinism face a number of challenges, such as reduced vision, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, or compromised crypticity resulting in an elevated vulnerability to predation. However, while observations of social interactions involving individuals with albinism have been observed in wild non-primate animals, such interactions have not been described in detail in non-human primates (hereafter, primates). Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first sighting of an infant with albinism in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), including social interactions between the infant, its mother, and group members. We also describe the subsequent killing of the infant by conspecifics as well as their behavior towards the corpse following the infanticide. Finally, we discuss our observations in relation to our understanding of chimpanzee behavior or attitudes towards individuals with very conspicuous appearances.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe