Identifying hotspots of chimpanzee group activity from transect surveys in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

Researchers identified distinct chimpanzee group activity hotspots within Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, using transect nest surveys. The study revealed a positive density and group-size gradient of nests away from the home range periphery, with clusters corresponding to four habituated social groups successfully located via scan statistics. While additional low-density clusters emerged between groups, this method offers a scalable approach for studying wild animal population structure, applicable beyond direct observations to include camera traps, acoustic, or genetic data.

Kouakou, C. Y., Boesch, C., & Kuehl, H. S. (2011). Identifying hotspots of chimpanzee group activity from transect surveys in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 27(6), 621–630. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266467411000423