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The "Super Chimpanzee": The ecological dimensions of rehabilitation of orphan chimpanzees in Guinea, West Africa

Ongman, Lissa, Colin, Christelle, Raballand, Estelle, Humle, Tatyana (2013) The "Super Chimpanzee": The ecological dimensions of rehabilitation of orphan chimpanzees in Guinea, West Africa. Animals, 3 (1). pp. 109-126. ISSN 2076-2615. (doi:10.3390/ani3010109) (KAR id:38020)

Abstract

To date few studies, especially among non-human primates, have evaluated or monitored rehabilitation effectiveness and identified key species-specific behavioral indicators for release success. This four-months study aimed to identify behavioral indicators of rehabilitation success among ten infant and juvenile orphaned chimpanzees cared for in peer groups at the Centre for Conservation of Chimpanzees (CCC), Guinea, West Africa. Behavioral data focused on foraging skills and activity budget. During bush-outings, rehabilitants spent on average nearly a quarter of their activity budget foraging, resting or traveling, respectively. Neither age, sex, the level of abnormal behaviors demonstrated upon arrival nor human contact during bush-outings predicted individual dietary knowledge. However, individuals who spent more time arboreal demonstrated a greater dietary breadth than conspecifics who dwelled more terrestrially. Although our data failed to demonstrate a role of conspecific observation in dietary acquisition, we propose that the mingling of individuals from different geographical origins may act as a catalyst for acquiring new dietary knowledge, promoted by ecological opportunities offered during bush-outings. This "Super Chimpanzee" theory opens up new questions about cultural transmission and socially-biased learning among our closest living relatives and provides a novel outlook on rehabilitation in chimpanzees.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.3390/ani3010109
Uncontrolled keywords: Abnormal behaviors, Bush-outings, Chimpanzee, Rehabilitation, Reintroduction, Sanctuary, Socially-biased learning
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH541 Ecology
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH75 Conservation (Biology)
Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology)
Depositing User: Tatyana Humle
Date Deposited: 04 Apr 2014 10:26 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 08:35 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/38020 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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