Chimpanzee ranging responses to fruit availability in a high‐elevation environment

Chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, adapt their ranging behavior to fruit scarcity by shifting monthly home ranges rather than reducing travel effort, suggesting high-altitude zones can serve as critical refugia for densely distributed food species. This study used focal follow and phenology data to analyze how fruit availability influences daily path length and home range dynamics in a montane environment. While chimpanzees decreased daily travel during low-fruit periods, their foraging areas remained stable but shifted locationally, likely reflecting altitudinal variations in food resource distribution. The diet was often dominated by one or two species confined to specific elevation zones, with Podocarpus latifolius being a key high-altitude resource that drove chimpanzees to range at the peak of their altitudinal range for consecutive months. This challenges the perception of high elevations as harsh environments, highlighting their ecological importance when they host critical food sources.

Green, S. J., Boruff, B. J., Niyigaba, P., Ndikubwimana, I., & Grueter, C. C. (2020). Chimpanzee ranging responses to fruit availability in a high‐elevation environment. American Journal of Primatology, 82(5). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23119