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Montane grassland resources drive gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) nesting behaviors in the Ebo forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon

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Abstract

Great apes show strong attachment to their nesting sites, which provide them with substantial survival elements. Their nesting behaviors are influenced by geographical and ecological variables including habitat type, slope, elevation gradients, and sometimes anthropogenic pressures. This study aimed to assess environmental variables that influenced Ebo gorillas’ (Gorilla gorilla) nesting behavior in relation to nesting site selection, nest types, and nesting materials. We collected data from January 2013 to November 2017 along reconnaissance tracks (recce, hereafter) using the marked nest counting method. We recorded an encounter rate of 0.16 nesting sites per km, with an average number of four nests per gorilla group. The mean nest diameter was 90.33 ± 23.92 cm (n = 640, range 25–199 cm). Ebo gorillas preferred nesting sites at high altitude located in grassland areas with open canopy, ligneous undergrowth composition, and very closed visibility. They used more than 281 plant species as materials for nesting, with Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae species being the most common material used. Terrestrial herbaceous nests were the most common nest type (55%). During the dry season, gorillas visited more often the mature forest habitat and mostly constructed arboreal nests. Finally, reuse of nesting sites was minimal (16%), and re-visitation intervals ranged from 3 days to 33 months. Our study is the first systematic investigation of gorilla nesting behavior within the Ebo forest, constituting therefore an important starting point for the long-term conservation planning for this little-known population.

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Data availability

Data used in this research are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the government of Cameroon for research authorization. We also appreciate support and collaboration from traditional authorities from Iboti, Logndeng, and Lognanga villages as well as administrative authorities in Yingui and Douala.

Funding

Financial support for the study is provided by the Ebo Forest Research Project, Cameroon, and its partners including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Ape Conservation Fund, the Arcus Foundation, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Fund, and La Palmyre Zoo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ERAIFT, The University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Daniel M. Mfossa & Roger I. Tchouamo

  2. Ebo Forest Research Project, Douala, Cameroon

    Daniel M. Mfossa, Marcel E. Ketchen & Ekwoge A. Abwe

  3. Research Unit SPHERES, The University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Eva Gazagne & Fany Brotcorne

  4. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, Nho Quan, Cuc Phuong, Ninh Binh, Vietnam

    Russell J. Gray

  5. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, USA

    Ekwoge A. Abwe

  6. The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium

    Roseline C. Beudels-Jamar

  7. The University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

    Roger I. Tchouamo

Authors
  1. Daniel M. Mfossa
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  2. Eva Gazagne
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  3. Russell J. Gray
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  4. Marcel E. Ketchen
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  5. Ekwoge A. Abwe
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  7. Roger I. Tchouamo
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Contributions

D.M. Mfossa, E.A. Abwe, R.I. Tchouamo, and R.C. Beudels-Jamar contributed to the study conception and conducted project administration. F. Brotcorne and R. I. Tchouamo supervised the work. E.A. Abwe secured the funds for the study. Field work and data collection were conducted by D.M. Mfossa and M.E. Ketchen. D.M. Mfossa, E. Gazagne, and R.J. Gray carried out data processing, visualization, and statistical analysis. D.M. Mfossa and E. Gazagne wrote the first draft of the manuscript. F. Brotcorne and R.J. Gray critically reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors commented and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Daniel M. Mfossa.

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Mfossa, D.M., Gazagne, E., Gray, R.J. et al. Montane grassland resources drive gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) nesting behaviors in the Ebo forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon. Eur J Wildl Res 69, 31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-023-01660-8

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