Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ph5wq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T06:52:12.692Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

16 - The contribution of long-term research by the Taï Chimpanzee Project to conservation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

Richard Wrangham
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Ross
Affiliation:
Kasiisi School Project, Uganda
Get access

Summary

One day, two poachers were in the forest and entered the research area of the Taï Chimpanzee Project. They knew that many more monkeys and duikers could be found here than in other parts of the park. After a long walk they heard chimpanzee calls. The chimpanzee group moved toward them without any reaction to their presence. The younger poacher, who was there to carry meat, told the older one with the gun to shoot. But the older one came from a village that had been visited by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation awareness team. “Wait! People in the village say that the chimpanzees are like humans,” he answered. “Let's first have a look.” It was the Coula nut season and after seeing how the chimpanzees were using hammers to break the nuts open and how some mothers were sharing the nuts they opened with their infants, the older said “They are right in the village. Chimpanzees are like humans. Let's move on.” The poachers continued on their way without shooting at the chimpanzees.

This anecdote was told to us during one of the discussions we had in the village. It illustrates nicely how bringing information about the true abilities of chimpanzees to local populations can contribute directly to saving the lives of this highly endangered species. Scientists can play an important role in conservation and should get involved in sharing their knowledge with local people.

INTRODUCTION

Protection of wild animal populations is an increasing worry for the future of our planet.

Type
Chapter
Information
Science and Conservation in African Forests
The Benefits of Longterm Research
, pp. 184 - 200
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Boesch, C. (1978). Nouvelles observations sur les chimpanzés de la forêt de Taï (Côte d'Ivoire). Terre et Vie, 32, 195–201.Google Scholar
Boesch, C. and Boesch-Achermann, H. (2000). The Chimpanzees of the Taï Forest: Behavioural Ecology and Evolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Boesch, C., Gnakouri, C., Marques, L.et al. (2007). Chimpanzee conservation and theater: a case study on an awareness project around the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. In Conservation in the 21st Century: Gorillas as a Case Study, ed. Stoinski, T., Mehlman, P., and Steklis, D.. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.Google Scholar
Boesch-Achermann, H. and Boesch, C. (1994). Hominization in the rainforest: the chimpanzee's piece of the puzzle. Evolutionary Anthropology, 3(Suppl. 1), S9–S16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herbinger, I. and Boesch, C. (2006). Interactive theater plays as an effective sensitization tool for the conservation of chimpanzees in West Africa. Abstracts, 21st International Primatological Society Conference, Entebbe, Uganda. International Journal of Primatology, 27(Suppl.1).Google Scholar
Hill, K., Boesch, C., Goodall, J., Pusey, A., Williams, J., and Wrangham, R. (2001). Mortality rates among wild chimpanzees. Journal of Human Evolution, 40, 437–450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Köndgen, S., Kühl, H., N'Goran, P.et al. (2008). Pandemic human viruses cause decline of endangered great apes. Current Biology, 18, 260–264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGraw, S., Zuberbühler, K., and Noë, R. (2007). Monkeys of the Taï Forest: An African Primate Community. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rahm, U. (1971). L'emploi d'outils par les chimpanzés de l'ouest de la Côte d'Ivoire. La Terre et la Vie, 25, 506–509.Google Scholar
Struhsaker, T.T. and Hunkeler, P. (1971). Evidence of tool-using by chimpanzees in the Ivory Coast. Folia Primatologica, 15, 212–219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tutin, C. and Fernandez, M. (1984). Nationwide census of gorilla (Gorilla g. gorilla) and chimpanzee (Pan t. troglodytes) populations in Gabon. American Journal of Primatology, 6, 313–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×