PROGRESS OF HABITUATION OF WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS AND THEIR REACTION TO OBSERVERS IN MOUKALABA-DOUDOU NATIONAL PARK, GABON

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概要

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• We have conducted habituation of western lowland gorillas since May 2003 during a long-term socio-ecological survey on primates in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park (Moukalaba N.P.) in Gabon. After a training program to increase the skills of trackers to search for gorillas in tropical forest, we identifi ed one group named ‘Group Gentil' (GG). Since October 2005, we have focused our efforts on habituating this group and carrying out all-day follows that have resulted in the identifi cation of most adult and subadult individuals in GG. Here, we describe the habituation process of GG and the major problems we faced in habituation. First, we had to employ inexperienced trackers and modify our methods according to the gorillas' responses. Subsequently we continued to employ the same trackers and formed two teams consisting of researchers and trackers to search for gorillas on a daily basis. The skills of our trackers in performing constant and reliable follows of GG have gradually increased. Furthermore, our persistent follows seemed to have a less disruptive effect on their ranging patterns. Once all-day follows were achieved, GG came to tolerate our presence. Juveniles approached us with curiosity when the silverback male remained nearby. Males were habituated more quickly than females, as observed in other habitats. However, distinct differences were found in the responses to human observers between the silverbacks and females. Unlike mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas, female western gorillas at Moukalaba showed aggressive responses to our approaches and occasionally attacked us with threatening vocalizations. Such female aggressiveness resembled that observed at Mondika in the process of habituation. However, while the silverback male usually ignored female aggression at Mondika, the silverback frequently rushed onto aggressive females to stop them at Moukalaba. Based on these similarities and differences in the habituation process at Moukalaba, we propose recommendations for achieving successful habituation.

• 京都大学の論文
• 2008-03-30

著者

• Chieko Ando

  Laboratory Of Human Evolution Studies Graduate School Of Sciences Kyoto University

• Ando Chieko

  Laboratory Of Human Evolution Studies Graduate School Of Natural Sciences Kyoto University

関連論文

• Bed and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon
• PROGRESS OF HABITUATION OF WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS AND THEIR REACTION TO OBSERVERS IN MOUKALABA-DOUDOU NATIONAL PARK, GABON

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