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Coexistence Between Humans and Capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus): Comparing Observational Data with Farmers’ Perceptions of Crop Losses

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Abstract

Foraging on anthropogenic food by wildlife is a prevalent form of human–wildlife interaction. Few studies have evaluated the impact of wildlife crop foraging in Neotropical areas where small-scale agriculture is practiced and the habitat has not been heavily altered. Our objectives were 1) to evaluate the perceptions of small-scale farmers living in southern Piauí (Brazil) of the impact of bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) on their crops and 2) quantify crop losses due to the monkeys and other vertebrates. In 2013, we interviewed 78 residents about the impact of capuchins on their crops. Subsequently, we recorded foraging by vertebrate animals in corn fields, and evaluated farmers’ crop losses. The farmers showed a positive attitude toward the capuchins and their perceptions of wildlife behavior were generally accurate. The impact of wildlife varied in relation to the field’s location, number of foraging individuals, and time spent foraging, as well as plant growth patterns. Vertebrates consumed between 23 and 100 % of the crops. Capuchins consumed the majority of crop losses, though birds consumed up to a third. The presence of a watchman reduced losses from wildlife by 66 %. In conclusion, although capuchins forage flexibly on anthropogenic crops, in a society relying on subsistence agriculture, their impact is perceived to be moderate overall. Peaceful coexistence between humans and monkeys favors conservation actions targeted toward protection of the capuchins and their habitat, both of which are seriously threatened by industrial agriculture in this region.

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Acknowledgments

We thank field assistants Arizomar da Silva Oliveira, Jozemar da Silva Oliveira, and Claudio Fonseca Feitosa and farmers Antônio, Jozemar, José Felix, and Arenaldo for providing their land for cultivation and care for the corn plots, and for allowing us to conduct research; the EthoCebus Project and Oliveira family, especially Maria and Mauro, for permission to carry out our research in Fazenda Boa Vista, and Marina for transcribing the interviews. We express special thanks to Dr. Stefano Fagiani for useful comments at the beginning of the project, to Marcela Predaza and Igor Santos for help with the codification of the interviews, and Dr. Lucas Peternelli and Dr. Elisabetta Visalberghi for providing helpful comments on previous drafts. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers, Dr. Joanna M. Setchell, Dr. Kimberley J. Hocking, and Dr. Matthew R. McLennan for their useful comments that improved the manuscript. N. Spagnoletti was funded by CAPES and CNPq program “Science Without Borders-Young Talent Research” fellow and research grant no. 017/2012, BIOTA/FAPESP research grant no. 2013/19219-2, T. Campioni Morone Cardoso by PIBIC-CNPq fellow no. 161779/2014-0, and P. Izar by SisBio grant no. 28689–5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Noemi Spagnoletti, Tadeu Campioni Morone Cardoso & Patrícia Izar

  2. Istituto de Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione del CNR di Roma, Rome, Italy

    Noemi Spagnoletti

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Dorothy Fragaszy

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  1. Noemi Spagnoletti
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  2. Tadeu Campioni Morone Cardoso
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Correspondence to Noemi Spagnoletti.

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Spagnoletti, N., Cardoso, T.C.M., Fragaszy, D. et al. Coexistence Between Humans and Capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus): Comparing Observational Data with Farmers’ Perceptions of Crop Losses. Int J Primatol 38, 243–262 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-016-9926-9

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