Pan Africa News
TheThe Newsletter Newsletter of the of Committee the Committee for the Carefor the andCare Conservation and Conservation of Chimpanzees, of Chimpanzees, and the and Mahalethe MahaleWildlife WildlifeConservation Conservation Society Society
DECEMBER 2006 VOL. 13, NO. 2
P. A. N. EDITORIAL STAFF Contents
Chief Editor: Toshisada Nishida, Japan Monkey Centre, Japan
Pan Africa News publishes articles, notes, reviews,
Shunkichi Hanamura1, Mieko Kiyono1, Reports have indicated that many chim- panzees have died from infectious diseases such Michio Nakamura1, Tetsuya Sakamaki1, as a flu-like epidemic, poliomyelitis and Ebola in 1 2 Noriko Itoh , Koichiro Zamma , the natural habitat1, 2, 3, 4, 5. From June to July 13 14 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006
Fig. 1. Dead body of an infant Rhea found in the bush two or three days after her death still grasping the vine with the right hand and holding a dead branch with the left one.
2006, we observed an outbreak of a flu-like disease among the chimpanzees of the Mahale M group. No chimpanzee showed any symptom of disease in May 2006. However, an adult male was Fig. 2. Dead body of an adult female found in the first confirmed to cough on June 3, 2006. Within bush on 29 June 2006 eaten by a bushpig or similar animal. a few days, an adult female and two adult males including the alpha male also began to cough. Subsequently, at least 23 individuals showed prep.). The possible victims include an adult male, symptoms such as coughing, sniveling, and 3 adult females, a juvenile male, and 7 infants. crouching on the ground. This means that 35.4% This was comparable to the loss of 11 of the entire M Group (65 before the outbreak) chimpanzees due to the outbreak of a flue-like suffered from the disease. In the latter half of disease that occurred in 19932. July, the number of individuals showing Since it is possible that these epidemics were symptoms decreased, and the disease had almost caused by the increased contact with humans, we ceased by the end of July. felt it an urgent issue to explore the appropriate We confirmed the deaths of three infants who ways of observing chimpanzees both by all had suffered from the disease. We found the researchers and tourists. There had already been corpse of one of them on June 26, 2006 (Rhea, Fig. some guidelines or rules for observing 1) and observed the corpses of two other infants chimpanzees proposed by MWCS and later by the carried by their mothers on July 1 and July 15, Park as a result of establishing the General 2006. In addition to them, nine chimpanzees Management Plan (GMP) for MMNP. However, disappeared during this period and they have not these guidelines had been poorly announced to been seen at the time of writing (November 30, tourists and thus not applied before the outbreak. 2006). The inference of their deaths were In addition, although the distances from supported by the fact that we recovered another chimpanzees are set in GMP as 10 m for tourists corpse of an adult female (Fig. 2) and the upper and 7.5 m for researchers, it is often difficult to part of the cranium and the whole left scapula of rigidly maintain these distances. This is because a juvenile male (Fig. 3). Therefore, a total of 12 chimpanzees themselves sometimes come closer chimpanzees likely died of disease. We will report to humans and because humans unconsciously this outbreak in detail soon (Hanamura et al. in approach chimpanzees when they are in a dense Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 15
Kigoma. This quarantine has been complied by Gombe re- searchers and filmmakers. Fortunately, everybody is now willing to wear masks. Also, as a result of the cooperation of tour operators, veterinarians, park staff and researchers, the regula- tions on chimpanzee viewing established by TANAPA, such as the distance of observation, dura- tion of observation, the number of tourists per group and tourist groups per day, and the prohibit- Fig. 3. Upper part of cranium and left scapula found on July 3 2006 (left). tion against more than two tour- Rhea’s cranium and scapula (right) are shown for comparison of the sizes. ist group observing the same party of chimpanzees at the same bush. It is also difficult for some guides to time, are now being more rigidly applied than persuade tourists to keep distance. In addition, before the outbreak, although they are still not we see it problematic that tourists often go off the completely followed. We need continuous efforts observation trails which made it more difficult for for full application of the regulations in order to them to keep distance from chimpanzees. minimize the risk of epidemic outbreak among Thus we decided to introduce a new code of groups of chimpanzees habituated for the observation: the application of face masks for purpose of research and/or tourism. For that everybody who observes the M group chimpanzees. This can at least reduce the risk of droplet infection from humans and has already been employed by Taï researchers. Some of the authors were just leaving Japan for Mahale when the epidemic came to an end. They carried face masks from Japan to Mahale. The purchase of those face masks was financially supported by MWCS. We provided the masks to all the tourist companies in the park, the park staff and the research assistants, and asked them to wear the masks whenever they observe the M group chimpanzees (Fig. 4). We also made and distributed a leaflet explaining to tourists why they were requested to wear the masks. The used masks were collected and burnt by tour operators after returning to the camp. Although there is some skepticism about the effectiveness of the face mask6, it is surely better than nothing when we consider its effectiveness in reducing the likeliness of transmission of virus between humans. Researchers also began to voluntarily carry out a one-week quarantine before observing Fig. 4. Research assistants wearing face masks. We chimpanzees after we arrived at the nearest town wear face masks whenever we observe the M group chimpanzees at Mahale.
16 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 purpose, it is essential that researchers, veter- located west of the Nimba Mountains, the only inarians, tour operators, and park staff cooperate World Natural Heritage site (UNESCO/MAB) in even more. Guinea. French and Dutch scholars had carried out early studies of the fauna and flora — We thank COSTECH, TAWIRI, TANAPA, including chimpanzees — of this area1. In 1976, MMNP, and MMWRC for permitting us to Yukimaru Sugiyama launched a long running conduct research at Mahale. Dr. Magdalena field study of the Bossou chimpanzees2. Since Lukasik-Braum and Dr. Titus Mlengeya of then, many researchers from the Primate TANAPA provided much support and advice. This Research Institute of Kyoto University (KUPRI) study was financially supported by MEXT have made contributions to a joint effort to study (16255007 to TN and 16770186 to MN) and the chimpanzees and to promote the conservation Global Environment Research Fund F-061. of their habitat3. Bossou chimpanzees are well known to use a variety of different tools, REFERENCES including the use of a stone hammer and stone 1. Nishida T, Takasaki H, Takahata Y 1990. anvil for cracking open oil-palm nuts4. Other Demography and reproductive profiles. In: The unique examples of tool use in the repertoire chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, Nishida T include pestle pounding5, and ant-dipping6. (ed), University of Tokyo Press, pp. 63–98. KUPRI organized an international symposi- 2. Hosaka K 1995. Epidemics and wild chimpanzee study groups. Mahale: A single flu epidemic killed at um celebrating the 30th anniversary of chimpan- least 11 chimpanzees. Pan Afr News 2(2): 3–4. zee research at Bossou in association with two 3. Nishida T, Corp N, Hamai M, Hasegawa T, Guinean public institutions, DNRST (Direction Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Hosaka K, Hunt KD, Itoh N, Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique et Kawanaka K, Matsumoto-Oda A, Mitani JC, Technique) and IREB (Institut de Recherche Nakamura M, Norikoshi K, Sakamaki T, Turner L, Environnementale de Bossou), the official Uehara S, Zamma K 2003. Demography, female life counterparts of the scientific collaboration history, and reproductive profiles among the between KUPRI and Guinea that began 30 years chimpanzees of Mahale. Am J Primatol 59: 99–121. 4. Lonsdorf EV, Travis D, Pusey AE, Goodall J 2006. ago. The international team of researchers called Using retrospective health data from the Gombe KUPRI-International is carrying out long chimpanzee study to inform future monitoring efforts. running studies of Bossou-Nimba chimpanzees Am J Primatol 68: 897–908. based on a formal convention with the two 5. Boesch C, Boesch-Achermann H 1995. Taï Guinean authorities. The symposium was chimpanzees confronted with a fatal Ebola virus. Pan entitled “Research and Conservation of the Afr News 2(2): 2–3. African Great Apes: The 30th Anniversary of the 6. Walpole M 2004. An assessment of tourism in Bossou-Nimba Project”. The symposium was held Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Report on behalf of TANAPA and FZS. from 27 to 29 November, 2006, in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The first two days, during
which oral presentations were delivered, were held at the Hotel Riviera Palace, while the third day consisted of a film festival at the
There were three plenary talks. Yukimaru to the research at Bossou: baboons in Guinea by Sugiyama talked on the 30 years research of Marie-Claude Huynen (Liege University, Bossou chimpanzees. Tetsuro Matsuzawa talked Belgium), the conservation efforts of chimpanzees on the current program of Bossou-Nimba in Guinea by Christine Sagno and Sedibinet research and the green corridor project. William Sidibe (Guinea), and the tree nursery for the McGrew of Cambridge University gave a plenary green-corridor project in Bossou and Nimba by talk to illuminate the unique contribution of the Makan Kourouma (IREB, Guinea). There were long running studies at Bossou to international four other guest speakers from different parts of primatology. Africa, addressing the following topics: The sessions that followed focused on the conservation efforts, especially environmental various studies of chimpanzees at Bossou and education, in Guinea and Gambia by Janis Nimba by the KUPRI-International team. The Carter (Gambia), chimpanzees in eastern Congo speakers were as follows: Gen Yamakoshi (Kyoto by Augustin Basabose (DRC), chimpanzees of the University, Japan), Tatyana Humle (University of Mahale Mountains in Tanzania by Michio Wisconsin, USA), Dora Biro (Oxford University, Nakamura (Japan), and chimpanzees in Liberia UK), Claudia Sousa (Lisbon New University, by Joel Gamys (CI, Libieria). There were about Portugal), Gaku Ohashi (KUPRI, Japan), 80 participants of the symposium (Fig.1). Katelijne Koops (Cambridge University, UK), The film festival on the third day was open to Kimberly Hockings (Stirling University, UK), the public. Four films were shown: “A hard nut to Kazunari Ushida (Kyoto Prefectural University, crack”, made by ANC/NHK, illuminating Japan), Asami Kabasawa (Kyoto University, developmental changes in stone-tool use by Japan), Nicolas Granier (University of Liege, Bossou chimpanzees, “Jokro: The death of an Belgium), and Susana Carvalho (Lisbon infant chimpanzee” by ANC focusing on a University of Technology, Portugal). The chimpanzee mother carrying the mummified symposium also included talks on topics related body of her dead infant, “Return to the Great
Fig.1. Group photo of invited speakers of the international symposium held in Conakry (Photo provided by KUPRI-International).
18 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006
Apes Planet: the Chimpanzees of Bossou” by TF1/WLP/Ushuaia, and “Le Pacte de Bossou” by France3/Gaia-Video-Concept doc- umenting the unique coexistence of humans and chimpanzees at Bossou. All films were shown with French narration, and after each presentation Tatyana Humle answered questions posed by the audience. After the symposium in Conakry, some of the participants traveled to Bossou, 1,050 km from the capital. A ceremony was held on site, on the 3rd of December, to commemorate the project’s 30th anniversary. The Fig.2. Chimpanzees at Bossou cracking nuts with stone tool Manon people of Bossou village (Photo by E. Nogami) acted as the hosts of the ceremony, joined by the Guinean and foreign observation, and so forth. Bossou is located only 4 researchers and their local assistants. The km from the border to Liberia and 8 km from the Manon has a religious belief that their ancestors border of Cote d’Ivoire. The two neighboring are the chimpanzees that inhabit the sacred countries were recently shaken by civil war and forest of Mont Gban behind the village. The many refugees fled into the Bossou area. Bossou chimpanzee is one of the totems of the Manon chimpanzees also occasionally range into Liberia. family that founded Bossou village. The ceremo- The KUPRI-International researchers, in ny of Mont Gban incorporated performances by collaboration with IREB, the villagers, and local three masked men and traditional dancing NGOs, initiated a reforestation program called accompanied by drumming. the Green Corridor Project (Projet Corridor Vert) Bossou chimpanzees are very unique: they are in 19979. This project has the aim of planting not afraid of humans and coexist peacefully with trees to enlarge the forests of Bossou and create a them (Fig. 2). This is in part due to the attitude of corridor over the savanna that separates the hills the local Manon people and partly to the of Bossou from the Nimba Mountains. In Nimba, long-running habituation by the researchers. there is another community of chimpanzees, with Bossou is home to about 2,500 villagers. The the unique culture of making ground-nests10. The chimpanzees live in the secondary forests of the green corridor aims to connect the fragmented hills surrounding the village, so that they have to forests of Bossou to the large primary forest in cross roads to move from one part of the forest to Nimba in order to secure the exchange of another7. Over the past 30 years, the number of individuals with adjacent communities. Bossou chimpanzees in the Bossou community has been chimpanzees have been utilizing the forests of the stable at around 19 individuals on average Nimba mountains more and more frequently. The (range: 16–22). However, there was a flu-like KUPRI-International team, in collaboration with epidemic in November 2003 and we lost five the Guinean authorities DNRST and IREB, will chimpanzees within a short time8. The number of make continuous efforts to monitor the Bossou Bossou chimpanzees is now 12, stable over the chimpanzees and to promote conservation efforts past three years. We have been applying strict in the area. Please visit the following web site for rules to protect this precious community: we further information:http://www.greenpassage.org. always keep our distance from the chimpanzees, Acknowledgment: The symposium was finan- limit the number of tourists, wear masks during cially supported by Kyoto University, KUPRI, Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 19 and JSPS-HOPE program. Kathelijne Koops1 and Tetsuro Matsuzawa2
1Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies REFERENCES and Dept. of Biological Anthropology, 1. Kortlandt A 1986. The use of stone tools by University of Cambridge wild-living chimpanzees and earliest hominids. J 2Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University Hum Evol 15: 77–132. 2. Sugiyama Y, Koman J 1979. Social structure and INTRODUCTION dynamics of wild chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea. We report the first observation of hand Primates 20: 513–524. clapping by a wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes 3. Matsuzawa T 2006. Sociocognitive development in chimpanzees: A synthesis of laboratory work and verus) in the Nimba Mountains in Guinea, West fieldwork. In: Matsuzawa T, Tomonaga M, Tanaka M Africa. Hand clapping has previously been (eds.) Cognitive Development in Chimpanzees. reported only for captive chimpanzees (Pan Springer, Tokyo, pp. 3–33. troglodytes). There, chimpanzees have been seen 4. Biro D, Inoue-Nakamura N, Tonooka R, Yamakoshi to clap hands in the context of potential food G, Sousa C, Matsuzawa T 2003. Cultural innovation availability to attract the attention of humans1, 2 and transmission of tool use in wild chimpanzees: and as a gesture during play3. Also, bonobos (Pan evidence from field experiments. Anim Cogn 6: paniscus) in the San Diego Zoo hand- and 213–223. 4 5. Yamakoshi G, Sugiyama Y 1995. Pestle-pounding foot-clapped during grooming , presenting a behavior of wild chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea: A unique local tradition that has been transmitted newly observed tool-using behavior. Primates 36: to new individuals introduced into the group5, 6. 489–500. For wild great apes, hand clapping has been seen 6. Humle T, Matsuzawa T 2002. Ant-dipping among the only in one female mountain gorilla (Gorilla chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea, and some gorilla beringei) in the Virunga Mountains, comparisons with the other sites. Am J Primatol 58: Rwanda7, and in several female and young 133–148. western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) 7. Hockings K, Anderson J, Matsuzawa T 2006. Road 8 crossing in chimpanzees: A risky business. Curr Biol in southwestern Central African Republic . Most 16: 668–670. cases in which hand clapping was seen in 8. Matsuzawa T, Humle T, Koops K, Biro D, Hayashi M, western lowland gorillas were when the gorillas Sousa C, Mizun Y, Kato A, Yamakoshi G, Ohashi G, were nervous about the presence of the human Sugiyama Y, Kourouma M 2004. Wild chimpanzees observers8. at Bossou-Nimba: Deaths through a flu-like epidemic Our chimpanzee study site is in a part of the in 2003 and the green-corridor project. Primate Res Nimba Mountains near the village of Seringbara 20: 45–55. (7°37’50.0”N, 8°27’44.7”W) in southeastern 9. Hirata S, Morimura N, Matsuzawa T 1998. Green passage plan (Tree planting project and Guinea. The Seringbara study area covers about environmental education using documentary videos 25 km² and is 6 km southeast of Bossou, where a at Bossou: A progress report. Pan Afr News 5: 9–11. community of 12–23 chimpanzees has been 10. Koops K, Humle T, Sterck E, Matsuzawa T 2006. studied since 19769, 10. Occasional surveys in the Ground-nesting by the chimpanzees of the Nimba Nimba area have been ongoing since 1992. Mountains, Guinea: Environmentally or socially However, no constant research presence in the determined? Am J Primatol 65: 1–13. Nimba Mountains around Seringbara existed before the present study (begun in August 2003) and the chimpanzees remain largely unhabit- uated.
20 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 chimpanzees (1 adult and 1 juvenile) quickly moved away. The adult female continued to ACKNOWLEDGMENTS scream and to bark intermittently at the The research was financially supported by observers and threw several branches. After MEXT grants (12002009 and 16002001) and about 30 minutes, she calmed down and JSPS core-to-core program HOPE and 21COE continued to eat Parkia bicolor fruit and to groom (A14) to T. Matsuzawa and by a grant from the herself for several minutes. Lucie Burgers Foundation for Comparative She then moved to a nearby Canarium Behavioural Research, Arnhem, the Netherlands, schweinfurthii tree and peered at the researchers to K. Koops. In Guinea, we thank the Ministère before branch-shaking, ‘waa-barking’ and hand de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche clapping. She continued intermittently to feed on Scientifique, Direction Nationale de la Recherche Canarium schweinfurthii fruit and on young Scientifique, and Institut de Recherche Envi- leaves, self-groom and bark/scream at the ronnementale de Bossou for granting us the observers in combination with hand-to-foot and permission to carry out this study. We also thank hand-to-hand clapping. During the total period of T. Humle and the Seringbara guides for observation (131 minutes) she showed two invaluable assistance in the field, and W.C. hand-clapping bouts (3 claps; 4 claps) and three McGrew for helpful comments on the manuscript. hand-to-foot clapping bouts (1 clap; 2 claps; 1 clap) before departing at 12.41h. All REFERENCES hand-to-hand and hand-to-foot clapping bouts 1. Hostetter AB, Cantero M, Hopkins WD 2001. were associated with a particular type of Differential use of vocal and gestural communication by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in response to the ‘waa-bark’. The observations were captured on attentional status of a human (Homo sapiens). J film (see video clip. Video clip of this behaviour is Comp Psychol 115: 337–343. available at the following URL. http://mahale. 2. Fletcher AW 2006. Clapping in chimpanzees: web.infoseek.co.jp/PAN/koops_video/) evidence of exclusive hand preference in a spontaneous, bimanual gesture. Am J Primatol 68: DISCUSSION 1081–1088. Our preliminary report describes a previously 3. Tomasello M, Call J, Nagell K, Olguin R, Carpenter unknown communication gesture in wild M 1994. The learning and use of gestural signals by young chimpanzees: a trans-generational study. chimpanzees in Nimba. However, in the early Primates 35: 137–154. stages of habituation with irregular observations 4. Ingmanson EJ 1987. Clapping behavior: non-verbal of the chimpanzees, it is not yet clear whether communication during grooming in a group of hand-clapping and hand-to-foot clapping is captive pygmy chimpanzees. Am J Primatol 72: 214 idiosyncratic, habitual or customary in the (Abstract). Nimba chimpanzees. 5. de Waal FBM 1989. Behavioral contrasts between The context of the behaviour seems to bonobo and chimpanzee. In: Understanding resemble that in which hand-clapping was Chimpanzees, Heltne P, Marquardt L (eds), Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 154–175. recorded in wild western lowland gorillas8. 6. de Waal FBM 1994. The chimpanzee’s adaptive Hand-to-hand and hand-to-foot clapping appear potential: a comparison of social life under captive to be used in threat or display, similar to and wild conditions. In: Chimpanzee Cultures, branch-shaking. The combination of vocalizations Wrangham RW, McGrew WC, de Waal FBM, Heltne and clapping may alert other chimpanzees in the P (eds), Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. area to the presence of potential danger (e.g. 243–260. humans). Also, the behaviour may reflect a 7. Fossey D 1983. Gorillas in the Mist. Houghton combination of fear and frustration, in response Mifflin Company, Boston. 8. Fay JM 1989. Hand-clapping in western lowland to the presence of human observers. Only further gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Mammalia 53: research on the chimpanzees in the Nimba 457–458. Mountains can provide information about the 9. Sugiyama Y 1981. Observation on the population generality of this behavioural pattern and its dynamics and behavior of wild chimpanzees at form and function. Bossou, Guinea, between 1976-1983. Primates 22: Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 21
435–444. 30,000 people came from the Democratic 10. Sugiyama Y 1984. Population dynamics of wild Republic of Congo, and 90,000 Congolese refugees chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea, between 1976– currently live in the two camps. This report 1983. Primates 25: 391–400. shows the influence of the Congolese refugees on the chimpanzee habitat based on the comparison between the home range and population density in 1995 and those in 2006.
RESULTS On August 14, Ogawa encountered one chimpan- zee party including two adults and one infant in the central section of Lilan- shimba. However, chimpan- zees no longer in- habited the northeast of the Lugufu River due to the refugee camps having been built in the east section (5°08’S, 30°12’E). The chimpanzees lost at least one quarter of their home range. The Congolese refugees were provided with minimum Fig.1. The Lilanshimba area in western Tanzania
22 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 food, but they crossed the Lugufu River, went out destruction by commercial logging and of the refugee settlement, and cut down trees for cultivation. After 1997, however, the destruction cultivation, housing, firewood, and charcoal. by the Congolese refugees became a more serious igu Unlike the logging by the Tanzanians, the threat to the survival of chimpanzees in this area. Congolese refugees have cut down all trees in Unlike most Tanzanians, there are no restrictions numerous areas both in and out of the settlement. barring the Congolese from eating the meat of They moved through the central and west chimpanzees. Our local assistant in Mwamila sections of Lilanshimba to the Malagarasi River village heard that Congolese refugees actually and Lake Tanganyika for fishing and hunting. hunted chimpanzees in 2002. Chimpanzees in Lions (Panthera leo), elephants (Loxodonta Lilanshimba are isolated from other populations, Africana), and zebras (Equus burchellii) and are in imminent danger of extinction due to inhabited Lilanshimba before 1997, but there the habitat destruction and direct hunting by the was no evidence of these mammals in 2006. Congolese refugees. According to local people, the populations of these There is another refugee settlement for mammals in Lilanshimba disappeared after the Burundians in the Mishamo area, western refugee camps were built. Tanzania (office: 5°43’S, 30°46’E), which is In the central section, we recorded 35 located outside of a chimpanzee habitat. However, chimpanzee beds within 35m, and 11 beds within some of Burundian refugees leave the settlement, 10m from our 85.3km walking routes. A direct temporarily or permanently live in the comparison between 73 beds in 20m×189.7km chimpanzee habitat, the Ntakata and Kakungu area in 19951 and 11 beds in 20m×85.3km area in area (05°45’–06°15’S, 30°00’–15’E), and hunt 2006 indicates that the population density in the many wild mammals there2. Although more than central section became one third (chi square=12.6, 30 years have passed since they came to this df=1, p<0.01). However, the population density in refugee settlement, it is uncertain when or the central section in 19951 might have been whether they will ever go back to their home overestimated. This is because Kano et al.1 country. UNHCR and the Tanzanian government assumed that chimpanzee beds disappear in should carefully choose the location of refugee 113.6 days like in Gabon, but chimpanzee beds camps and maintain the refugee settlements to made in the miombo woodland area in Tanzania protect the natural environment for the sake of remain much longer. Therefore, if we assume not only the refugees but also Tanzanians in the that beds disappear in 260 days as recorded in local community and wild animals in that area. the Ugalla area, Tanzania2, the density in 2006 can be estimated to be 0.02 individuals/km2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS {0.0225 individuals/km2 = 35beds/(0.07km× We thank T. Kano, H. Y. Kayumbo, E. T. 85.3km×260 days), 0.0248 individuals/km2 = 11 Massawe, J. Itani, T. Nishida, T. Nemoto, and our beds / (0.02km×85.3km×260 days)}. This means local assistants. This study was permitted by that only 4 chimpanzees over 3–4-year-old were COSTECH and TAWIRI and financially present in 175km2 of the central section. In the supported by a Grand-in-Aid for Scientific west section, we found neither any beds nor any Research of MEXT (09041160) and Global other trace of chimpanzees in 2006 and Kano et Environment Research Fund (F061). al.1 found only 2 beds in 1995. The chimpanzees may rarely or temporarily visit the west section. REFERENCES Our survey suggests that the number of 1. Kano T, Ogawa H, Asato R, Kanamori M 1999. chimpanzees in the whole Lilanshimba area Distribution and density of wild chimpanzees on the should be no more than several individuals. northwestern bank of the Malagarasi River, Tanzania. Primate Res 15: 153–162.
2. Ogawa H, Moore J, Kamenya S 2006. Chimpanzees DISCUSSION in the Ntakata and Kakungu areas, Tanzania. Even before 1997, the home range of Primate Conservation 21: 97–101. chimpanzees in Lilanshimba had been steadily decreasing as a result of increasing habitat Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006 23
Hiroyuki Takasaki Okayama University of Science
Dr. Kenji Kawanaka, Professor Emeritus of Okayama University of Science, deceased on the evening of 1 October 2006 at the age of 63. His contribution to field primatology — in particular, chimpanzee research in Mahale Mountains, Tanzania — is unerasable. Besides his scientific achievements, his efforts to improve and maintain the infrastructure and human relationships at Mahale — e.g., housing and boat building as well as education and scholarships for local children — benefited all others more than himself. He was one of the researchers most loved not only by his colleagues but by the local Photo 1. When climbing Mt. Sibindi in 1969 people. No doubt he must have rejoined with his old spiritual friends — both human and nonhuman — now dwelling in the bush, forest, and mist of Mahale.
Photo 2. At Kansyana Camp in 1969 (center)
24 Pan Africa News, 13(2), December, 2006
Photo 3. At Lemon House, Kansyana Camp in 1983 (second from right, back
row)
Photo 4. At Kansyana Camp in 1983 (right)
Pan Africa News, Vol. 13, No.2 Published in December, 2006
Address: Japan Monkey Centre 26 Kanrin Inuyama, Aichi 484-0081 Photo 5. At White House, Kansyana Camp in 2001 JAPAN (left, front row) TEL: (+81)568-61-2327 (Photos © T. Nishida) FAX: (+81)568-62-6823 E-mail: [email protected]