![]() ![]() Generally, their nests can be arboreal (Poulsen & Clark, 2004) or can be built on the ground (Abwe & Morgan, 2008 Furuichi & Hashimoto, 2000 Tagg et al., 2013). Like other great apes, chimpanzees build a new nest every night or may re-use old nests after adding new material to reinforce them (Hernandez-Aguilar, 2006, 2009). This behavior is common for chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans (Fruth & Hohmann, 1996), and gorillas (Iwata & Ando, 2007). HighlightsĪll weaned non-human great apes construct sleeping or resting platforms (hereafter “nests”) by modifying branches and leaves of trees (Goodall, 1962 Tutin & Fernandez, 1984). Therefore, conservation efforts should focus on protecting primary forests at high elevation and steep slopes and reducing human impact. ![]() Our findings suggest that chimpanzees select safe trees (tall trees with high lowest branch height) located in nesting areas (primary forest, high elevation, and steep slopes) that are not easily accessible by humans. Nesting high in trees is likely a way of avoiding hunting, while nest orientation within trees in slope direction shortens escape routes from human hunters. While we recorded no signs of large nocturnal chimpanzee predators at nesting trees, we found signs of hunting activity at nesting locations. In contrast, the number of nests increased with distance to secondary forest, open land, and villages, and nesting height was not influenced by seasons. Additionally, the occurrence of chimpanzee nests was positively related to increasing elevation and slope and decreased with distance to primary forest. ![]() Moreover, they oriented their nests within trees in the slope direction when the nesting trees were located on slopes. We found that chimpanzees constructed more arboreal nests on tall primary trees with high lowest branch height and large diameter at breast height. We recorded 923 nests, 502 signs of human activity, and 646 nesting trees along line transects and recces (reconnaissance) for two seasons. We examined the characteristics of nesting trees preferred by chimpanzees, investigated the effect of vegetation composition and topography on nest site locations and seasonality on nesting heights of chimpanzees, and verified the effect of predator occurrence and human activity on the nesting behavior of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve (KWFR) and surrounding unprotected forest in Cameroon. We found no evidence to suggest a change in nesting behaviour along trails compared with off trails however, the average nest height today is considerably higher than it was in 2004, which may indicate a change in behaviour across the whole forest.Environmental conditions and human activity influence the selection of nest sites by chimpanzees and may have serious conservation implications. The nest trees were on steeper than average slopes and the trees themselves were shorter and had a smaller DBH (diameter at breast height) than trees without nests. The top 5 nest tree species represented 16% of all non-nest tree species. ![]() Along the trails searched for nests, the chimpanzees used a subset of 35 (28.5%) of all available tree species. We also tested the hypothesis that people (researchers) walking along forest trails collecting data on a regular basis since 2005 will have changed nesting behaviour in the vicinity of the trails. The forest is small, isolated, and visited by researchers, community members, and hunters. Here we provide the first information on environmental factors affecting nest site choice in a montane population of the rare and relatively understudied Nigerian/Cameroon chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, Nigeria. Understanding nest site choice by chimpanzees has implications for ecology, anthropology, and in the collection of census data, yet it remains controversial. ![]()
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