The University of Stirling in Scotland and the government of Gabon found that the country’s Lopé National Park has seen a whopping 81% decrease in fruit production between 19, as well as an “11% drop in the physical condition of fruit-dependent forest elephants since 2008.” In recent years, National parks in Gabon have experienced a “fruit famine” that has been detrimental for the wildlife. What’s more, Mongabay reports that climate change is disrupting the production of fruit trees, which is an important source for mammals, such as chimpanzees and Gorillas. Gorillas and chimpanzees show considerable dietary overlap and have a relatively high potential for dietary competition.” Related Articles: Conservation Through Public Health: Helping Gorillas to Co-exist With Humans | Forests for a Healthy and Resilient Society “ost agonistic encounters occur in seasonal environments when food is scarce, and killings decrease abruptly when dietary overlap is reduced. “It could be that sharing of food resources by chimpanzees, gorillas and forest elephants in the Loango National Park results in increased competition and sometimes even in lethal interactions between the two great ape species.”Īccording to the report, the effects of seasonal issues alone may be causing the aggressive behaviour. Primatologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and one of the report’s authors, Tobias Deschner, believes that the allocation of food between chimpanzees and gorillas may be instigating a certain rivalry. Live Science states : “Climate change is also reducing the amount of fruit available in the Gabon rainforest, something that could be creating even more competition, and therefore driving these aggressive interactions.” However, decreasing food stocks in Loango National Park, worsened by the effects of climate change, could be the cause of tensions between the animals. The victims, in both attacks, were infant gorillas.īefore the recent attacks, the observed relationship between gorillas and chimpanzees had been peaceful and at times even playful. The two incidents recorded on video in Loango National Park both involved adolescent and adult chimpanzees outnumbering the adult gorillas.
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