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Sympatric Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Loango National Park, Gabon: Dietary Composition, Seasonality, and Intersite Comparisons

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Abstract

Dietary overlap of sympatric apes is complex and understudied, but its examination is essential to further our understanding of species distribution, abundance, and community ecology. Over 3 yr we studied food availability and dietary composition of central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Loango National Park, Gabon. We predicted that living in a habitat dominated by mature forest with sparse terrestrial herbaceous vegetation would lead to an increase in frugivory by gorillas, resulting in increased dietary overlap between the 2 ape species vs. other sites, but that chimpanzees would remain more frugivorous than gorillas. Through fecal analysis we measured overlap in fruit consumption between the 2 species on a bimonthly basis using the Renkonens method. Mean overlap was 27.5% but varied greatly seasonally, ranging between 0.3% and 69%, indicating that when examined on a finer scale, the degree of overlap appears much lower than at other study sites. In contrast to studies elsewhere, there was not a positive correlation between rainfall and fruit availability in Loango, and the long dry season was a period of high fruit production. As observed elsewhere, we found a positive correlation between fruit consumption and fruit availability for both chimpanzees and gorillas and we found that chimpanzees were more frugivorous than gorillas. A very low availability of herbs did not lead to increased frugivory by gorillas nor increased overlap between the 2 ape species vs. other field sites. We conclude that forest composition, fruit availability, and dietary variability of sympatric species can vary greatly between locations, and that chimpanzees and gorillas can adapt to primary forest with little undergrowth, where they concentrate their diet on fruit and leaves.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CENAREST) of Gabon for permission to conduct our research in Loango National Park. We also thank L. Rabanal, E. Reteno, E. Fairet, E. Wright, L. Rankin, M. Gregoire, J. Van-Schijndel, and the other field assistants of the Loango Ape project for their help collecting fecal samples, especially E. Fairet for assistance with the vegetation sampling. We particularly thank Mr. R. Swanborn for his continued financial support throughout the study, and R. Delport, P. Bosman, and the WCS team at Loango for logistical support at the field site. We also thank A. Robbins for statistical assistance, and 3 anonymous reviewers for useful comments on the manuscript. The project is a collaboration between, and financially supported by, the Société pour la Conservation et le Développement (SCD) and the Max Planck Society.

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  1. Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Josephine S. Head, Christophe Boesch, Loïc Makaga & Martha M. Robbins

  2. Société pour la Conservation et le Développement (SCD), Loango, Gabon

    Loïc Makaga

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  1. Josephine S. Head
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Correspondence to Josephine S. Head.

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Head, J.S., Boesch, C., Makaga, L. et al. Sympatric Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Loango National Park, Gabon: Dietary Composition, Seasonality, and Intersite Comparisons. Int J Primatol 32, 755–775 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-011-9499-6

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