HOPE report

Number: 24-001

To observe the change of physical function and social role according to the aging of wild chimpanzee

Report: Fujisawa Michiko

Date: 2012/10/13 - 2012/12/19

Acute upper respiratory inflammation was epidemic. Especially, the oldest female was severely sick. When she had inflammation, her motor function, such as walking and climbing trees, was impaired. Because her muscles of extremities are decreasing, her standby capacity of physical function might be impaired. I observed social association with other chimpanzees, variety of foods, and neurobehavioral function. When other chimpanzees went to the people fields, she often preferred stay in the forest by herself. When group members fight each other, she hid herself in the bush. She seemed to avoid herself from danger in advance.

We are now trying to keep distance from chimpanzees, because of following two reasons; 1. avoid chimpanzees from transmitted from human disease, 2. avoid chimpanzees too habituated to human. For this reason, this time I limited focal following and mainly used video for record.

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