Abstract
Fifty-four episodes of predatory behavior of wild chimpanzees were recorded in Mahale, western Tanzania, from August 1979 to May 1982. The chimpanzees most frequently hunt in two seasons, during May, and from August to December. Longer-term fecal analysis indicates that predation frequency is significantly higher in the dry than in the rainy season. The seasonality of predation might be the result of the sum of various ecological factors, at least one of which is the birth season of the prey species. Most of the prey are juvenile blue duiker, bushbuck, bushpig, red colobus, and red-tailed monkeys. Sex difference is recognized in the prey selection and in the hunting method employed. Apparent local difference in the predatory behavior between Mahale and Combe chimpanzees (in Mahale,females hunt more frequently, and blue duiker is the most frequent prey) can be understood in terms of the difference either in the observation methods or in the faunal diversity and density. Other aspects of predatory behavior also are reported.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Busse, C. D. (1977). Chimpanzee predation as a possible factor in the evolution of red colobus monkey social organization.Evolution 31: 907–911.
Busse, C. D. (1978). Do chimpanzees hunt cooperatively?Am. Nat. 112: 767–770.
Estes, R. D. (1974). Social organization of the African Bovidae. In Geist, V., and Walter, F. (eds.),The Behavior of Ungulates and Its Relation to Management, Vol. 1, Morges, Switzerland, pp. 166–205.
FrÄdrich, H. (1974). A comparison of behaviour in the Suidae. In Geist, V., and Walter, F. (eds.),The Behaviour of Ungulates and Its Relation to Management, Vol. 1, Morges, Switzerland, pp. 133–143.
Goodall, J. (1963). The behaviour of wild chimpanzees: A preliminary report.Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 10: 39–47.
Goodall, J. van Lawick (1968). The behaviour of free-living chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve.Anim. Behav. Monogr. 1: 161–311.
Harding, R. S. O., and Teleki, G. (eds.) (1981).Omnivorous Primates: Gathering and Hunting in Human Evolution, Columbia University Press, New York.
Hasegawa, T., Hiraiwa, M., Nishida, T., and Takasaki, H. (1983). New evidence on scavenging behaviour in wild chimpanzees.Curr. Anthropol. 24(2): 231–232.
Kawanaka, K. (1982). Further studies on predation by chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains.Primates 23:364–384.
Kingdon, J. (1979).East African Mammals, Academic Press, London.
McGrew, W. C. (1979). Evolutionary implication of sex difference in chimpanzee predation and tool use. In Hamburg, D. A., and McCown, E. R. (eds.),The Great Apes, Benjamin Commings, Menlo Park, Calif., pp. 441–224.
Nishida, T. (1968). The social group of wild chimpanzees in the Mahali Mountains.Primates 9: 167–224.
Nishida, T. (1980). Local difference in response to water among wild chimpanzees.Folia primatol. 33: 189–209.
Nishida, T. (1981).The World of Wild Chimpanzees, Chuokoronsha, Tokyo (in Japanese).
Nishida, T., Uehara, S., and Nyundo, R. (1979). Predatory behaviour among wild chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains.Primates 20: 1–20.
Norikoshi, K. (1983). Prevalent phenomenon of predation observed among wild chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains.J. Anthrop. Soc. Nippon 91(4): 475–479.
Suzuki, A. (1971). Carnivority and cannibalism observed among forest-living chimpanzees.J. Anthrop. Soc. Nippon 10: 30–48.
Teleki, G. (1973).The Predatory Behavior of Wild Chimpanzees, Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg, Pa.
Teleki, G. (1975). Primate subsistence patterns: Collector-predators and gatherer-hunters.J. hum. Evol. 4: 125–184.
Teleki, G. (1981). The omnivorous diet and eclectic feeding habits of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. In Harding, R. S. O., and Teleki, G. (eds.),Omnivorous Primates: Gathering and Hunting in Human Evolution, Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 303–343.
Wrangham, R. W. (1975).Behavioural Ecology of Chimpanzees in Gombe Nalional Park, Tanzania, Ph. D. dissertation, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takahata, Y., Hasegawa, T. & Nishida, T. Chimpanzee predation in the Mahale mountains from August 1979 to May 1982. Int J Primatol 5, 213–233 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02735758
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02735758