Effect of seasonal variation on feeding and food preference of olive baboons (<i>Papio anubis</i>) in a protected Guinean savannah of West Africa-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Effect of seasonal variation on feeding and food preference of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in a protected Guinean savannah of West Africa

Published:2024-08-23 Issue: Volume: Page:
ISSN:0025-1461
Container-title:Mammalia
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Oni Funmilayo L.¹,Assou Delagnon²^ORCID,Lameed Gbolagade A.³,D’Cruze Neil⁴⁵,Kulik Lars⁶,Luiselli Luca²⁷⁸

Affiliation:

1. Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology , Ogbomoso , Oyo State , Nigeria

2. Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LaEE) , Department of Zoology and Animal Biology, University of Lomé , 01 BP 1515, Lomé , Togo

3. Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, University of Ibadan , Ibadan , Oyo State , Nigeria

4. World Animal Protection , 222 Gray’s Inn Road , London , WC1X 8HB , UK

5. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Biology, University of Oxford , Tubney House , Tubney , Oxfordshire OX13 5QL , UK

6. Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz , Am Museum 1, 02826 , Görlitz , Germany

7. Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation , Rome , Italy

8. Department of Applied and Environmental Biology , Rivers State University , Port Harcourt , Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the effects of seasonal changes in vegetation productivity on olive baboon feeding behavior in a protected Guinea savannah (Kainji Lake National Park). Over two consecutive years (2017 and 2018), observations were conducted both during the wet and dry seasons using a scan sampling method. Results revealed that olive baboons consumed 34 plant species belonging to 20 families, with 28 species in the wet season and 12 in the dry season. A total of 922 feeding events were recorded in the wet season and 621 in the dry season, indicating significant seasonal variation. Fruits were the preferred food item, especially in the dry season, followed by animal matter, seeds, leaves, and subterranean food. Interestingly, baboons also consumed tree bark regardless of season. In addition, their consumption of fruits (in both seasons) and seeds (in the dry season) highlights their ecological role in seed dispersal and plant regeneration within the park. To sustain baboon (and all non-human primates) conservation efforts within the park, it’s important to maintain a high diversity and abundance of native fruit trees throughout the year. This study highlights the importance of understanding how seasonal changes in vegetation affect olive baboon feeding behavior for effective park management and biodiversity conservation.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Link

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/mammalia-2024-0019/pdf

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