Reports
Program No.18-040
Attending congress of International Primatological Society and
preliminary study about environmental and social influence on playing
behaviors in mountain gorillas.
MATSUBARA MIKI
22th June,2006 - 6th July,2006
By the support of HOPE project, I could attend the 21st congress of
International Primatological Society in Entebbe, Uganda, and had
successful poster presentation entitled "Conflict of land-use between
great apes and humans in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, D. R. C.". There
were variable suggestions and propositions of collaborative researches by
many researchers and conservationists studying great apes, GIS and mining
of coltan.
After the conference, I visited Bwindi National Park, south-west part
of Uganda for preliminary study of vegetation of mountain gorilla habitats
and mountain gorillas living in the Nkuringo area, south part of Bwindi,
where chimpanzees are living sympatrically. Group composition of the
Nkuringo group which have been habituated two years ago was two
silver-back males, five black-backs, four adult females, one subadult
female, one juvenile and four babies, totally seventeen individuals. The
vegetation in the Nkuringo area was similar to Kahuzi-Biega National Park
(KBNP), DRC, and many plant species eaten by gorillas and chimps in KBNP
were identified in the area. The Nkuringo group used secondary shrub for
feeding mainly. Two-years old babies tussled with each other, and the
elder silverback male"Nkurigo"intervened between the babies. The
environmental difference between Nkuringo and KBNP may be low, so that
those areas may be suitable for comparative study of social development in
the mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas.
The mountain gorilla in the Bwindi National Park.
With Dr. Meder in the Mountain Gorilla & Rainforest Direct Aid.
With Prof. Wrangham, President IPS Council and Ms. Wrangham
HOPE Project< >
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