The Chimpanzees of the Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. Status, distribution, ecology and behavior

A sustainable population of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) exists within Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast, and the adjacent Mont Tingui area, challenging previous assumptions of functional extinction. This population, comprising at least 127 weaned individuals across eight communities, exhibits unique ecological and behavioral traits. Unlike other chimpanzee populations, they rely heavily on forest habitats, consume a diverse diet including insects, monkeys, and snails, and employ specialized tool use, such as honey-dipping sticks with brushes—a behavior not documented elsewhere. They also demonstrate sustainable resource utilization, such as peeling Ceiba pentandra bark without causing tree mortality. The study, conducted from 2014 to 2019 using transects, camera traps, and detailed observations, reveals a distinct chimpanzee culture in Comoé, underscoring the need for urgent conservation efforts to protect this rare population from poaching and climate change.

Lapuente, J. M. (2021). The Chimpanzees of the Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. Status, distribution, ecology and behavior [Universität Würzburg]. https://doi.org/10.25972/OPUS-22318