Abstract
Predatory behavior ofPan t. troglodytes in the Ndoki Forest was confirmed by both direct observation and fecal evidence. Eight out of 214 fecal samples (3.7%), collected during 16 months, contained vertebrate tissue. The prey species were a terrestrial bird, two monkey species including crowned guenon, a squirrel, and probably a pangolin. This rate suggested that predation in the Ndoki population can occur as frequently as in other populations. Chimpanzees were also directly observed to eat an infant crowned guenon, a hornbill, and a duiker. An adult female used a branch apparently in an attempt to drive out a hornbill from its nest hole, though no bird was observed to come out. Chimpanzees were attracted to meat, and were observed begging and sharing over the meat. Predatory behavior is common toPan andHomo, but not toGorilla, implying that the common ancestor of the former two genera acquired this behavior after separating from gorillas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J. R.;Williamson, E. A. 1983. Chimpanzees of Sapo forest, Liberia: density, nests, tools, and meat-eating.Primates, 24: 594–601.
Badrian, N.;Malenky, R. 1984. Feeding ecology ofPan paniscus in the Lomako forest, Zaire. In:The Pygmy Chimpanzee: Evolutionary Biology and Behavior,Susman,R. L. (ed.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 275–299.
Boesch, C.;Boesch, H. 1989. Hunting behavior of wild chimpanzees in the Taï National Park.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 78: 547–573.
Casimir, M. J. 1975. Feeding ecology and nutrition of an eastern gorilla group in the Mt. Kahuzi region (République du Zaïre).Folia Primatol., 24: 81–136.
Galdikas, B. M. F. 1988. Orangutan diet, range, and activity at Tanjung Puting, Central Borneo.Int. J. Primatol., 9: 1–35.
Goodall, A. G. 1977. Feeding and ranging behavior of a mountain gorilla group (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in the Tshibinda-Kahuzi region (Zaïre). In:Primate Ecology,Clutton-Brock,T. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London, pp. 449–479.
Goodall, J. 1986.The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior. Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Goodman, M. 1992. Hominoid evolution at the DNA level and the position of humans in a phylogenetic classification. In:Topics in Primatology, Vol. 1: Human Origins,Nishida,T.;McGrew,W. C.;Marler,P.;Pickford,M.;de Waal,F. B. M. (ed.), Univ. of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp. 331–346.
Hohmann, G.;Fruth, B. 1993. Field observations on meat sharing among bonobos (Pan paniscus).Folia Primatol., 60: 225–229.
Huffman, M. A.;Kalunde, M. S. 1993. Tool-assisted predation on a squirrel by a female chimpanzee in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania.Primates, 34: 93–98.
Ihobe, H. 1992. Observations on the meat-eating behavior of wild Bonobos (Pan paniscus) at Wamba, Republic of Zaire.Primates, 33: 247–250.
Isaac, G. 1976. The activities of early African Hominids: A review of the archaeological evidence from the timespan two and one-half to one million years ago. In:Human Origins: Louis Leakey and the East African Evidence,Isaac,G. L.;McCown,E. R. (eds.), Benjamin, Menlo Park, pp. 483–514.
Kortlandt, A. 1972.New Perspectives in Ape and Human Evolution. Stichting voor Psychobiologie, Amsterdam.
Kuroda, S. 1984. Interaction over food among the pygmy chimpanzees. In:The Pygmy Chimpanzee: Evolutionary Biology and Behavior,Susman,R. L. (ed.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 301–324.
Kuroda, S. 1992. Ecological interspecies relationships between gorillas and chimpanzees in the Ndoki-Nouabalé reserve, northern Congo. In:Topics in Primatology, Vol. 2: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation,Itoigawa,N.;Sugiyama,Y.;Sackett,G. P.;Thompson,R. K. R. (eds.), Univ. of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp. 385–394.
Kuroda, S.; Nishihara, T.; Suzuki, S.; Oko, R. A. in press. Sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas in the Ndoki Forest, Congo. In:Great Ape Societies,McGrew, W. C.; Marchant, L. F.; Nishida, T. (eds.), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, pp. 74–81.
McGrew, W. C. 1992.Chimpanzee Material Culture. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge.
McGrew, W. C.;Baldwin, P. J.;Tutin, C. E. G. 1988. Diet of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Mt. Assirik, Senegal: I. Composition.Amer. J. Primatol., 16: 213–226.
Mitani, M. 1990. A note on the present situation of the primate fauna found from south-eastern Cameroon to northern Congo.Primates, 31: 625–634.
Mitani, M.;Yamagiwa, J.;Oko, R. A.;Moutsamboté, J. M.;Yumoto, T.;Maruhashi, T. 1993. Approach in density estimates and reconstruction of social groups in the Ndoki Forest, northern Congo.Tropics, 2: 219–229.
Nishihara, T. 1992. A preliminary report on the feeding habits of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the Ndoki Forest, northern Congo. In:Topics in Primatology, Vol. 2: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation,Itoigawa,N.;Sugiyama,Y.;Sackett,G. P.;Thompson,R. K. R. (eds.), Univ. of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp. 225–240.
Nishihara, T. 1994. Population density and group organization of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Congo.Afurika Kenkyu/African Area Studies, 44(3): 29–45. (in Japanese with English Abstract)
Plooij, F. X. 1978. Tool-use during chimpanzees' bushpig hunt.Carnivore, 1: 103–106.
Sugardjito, J.;Nurhuda, N. 1981. Meat-eating behavior in wild orangutans,Pongo pygmaeus.Primates, 22: 414–416.
Sugiyama, Y.;Koman, J. 1987. A preliminary list of chimpanzees' alimentation at Bossou, Guinea.Primates, 28: 133–147.
Suzuki, A. 1966. On the insect-eating habits among wild chimpanzees living in the savanna woodland of western Tanzania.Primates, 7: 481–487.
Suzuki, S.;Kuroda, S.;Nishihara, T. 1995. Tool-set for termite-fishing by chimpanzees in the Ndoki Forest, Congo.Behaviour, 132(3–4): 219–235.
Takahata, Y.;Hasegawa, T.;Nishida, T. 1984. Chimpanzee predation in the Mahale Mountains from August 1979 to May 1982.Int. J. Primatol., 5: 213–233.
Teleki, G. 1973.The Predatory Behavior of Chimpanzees. Bucknell Univ. Press, Lewisburg.
Tutin, C. E. G.;Fernandez, M. 1993. Composition of the diet of chimpanzees and comparisons with that of sympatric lowland gorillas in the Lopé Reserve, Gabon.Amer. J. Primatol., 30: 195–211.
Uehara, S.;Nishida, T.;Hamai, M.;Hasegawa, T.;Hayaki, H.;Huffman, M. A.;Kawanaka, K.;Kobayashi, S.;Mitani, J. C.;Takahata, Y.;Takasaki, H.;Tsukahara, T. 1992. Characteristics of predation by the chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains National Park. In:Topics in Primatology, Vol. 1: Human Origins,Nishida,T.;McGrew,W. C.;Marler,P.;Pickford,M.;de Waal,F. B. M. (eds.), Univ. of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp. 143–158.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Kuroda, S., Suzuki, S. & Nishihara, T. Preliminary report on predatory behavior and meat sharing in tschego chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in the Ndoki forest, northern Congo. Primates 37, 253–259 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381857
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381857