Sustainable Peeling of Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra) Bark by the Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast

Researchers discovered that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast, sustainably peel the bark of kapok trees (Ceiba pentandra) to access the cambium beneath, a behavior observed across multiple communities and age/sex classes. This activity occurs primarily during late rainy and early dry seasons when other food sources are scarce, suggesting an adaptive strategy to avoid resource depletion. Unlike baboons (Papio anubis), which consume the bark itself, chimpanzees target the cambium, with most peeled trees healing within two years without permanent damage. Only 6% of trees were reexploited after a year, indicating a sustainable use pattern. The study highlights parallels between chimpanzee and human past resource exploitation in harsh environments, underscoring the ecological significance of such behaviors.

Lapuente, J., Arandjelovic, M., Kühl, H., Dieguez, P., Boesch, C., & Linsenmair, K. E. (2020). Sustainable Peeling of Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra) Bark by the Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. International Journal of Primatology, 41(6), 962–988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-020-00152-9