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Human-wildlife conflict is widespread in Africa, and is expected to intensify due to the expansion of agriculture, and the reduction and fragmentation of habitat. Crop losses due to destruction by elephants create food insecurity, which increases poverty and hinders local support for conservation efforts. Elephants are often identified as the main responsible animals of crop losses. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining genetics, morphology, social sciences and eco-ethology, our study aims to (1) better characterize the actors and interactions at the edge of a protected area, where both species of elephants live, and where conflict is exacerbated by the proximity of human farming and elephant habitat; and (2) suggest effective, non-violent measures adapted to the local context. The perspectives are to submit recommendations for the management of human-wildlife conflict, in order to contribute to better protection of the fields, leading to the improvement of the living conditions of local communities, as well as the reduction of poaching pressure on the wildlife living in the park. We first showed that both African elephant species and hybrids are present in the Sebitoli area, in the North of the Kibale National Park, in Uganda. Studies of their behavior in the forest and during crop feeding episodes show that they live in mixed groups, and thus do not appear to exhibit crop feeding pattern that would be typical of forest or savannah elephants. Instead of adapting recommendations for crop protection measures according to elephant species, it seems essential that measures be adjusted to the geographical, land use, economic and social context of each village, considering the nocturnal behavior of elephants, as well as other species involved in human-wildlife conflict, including threatened and protected species such as chimpanzees., Le conflit humains-faune sauvage est très fréquent en Afrique, et est amené à s’intensifier du fait de l’expansion de l’agriculture, et de la réduction et la fragmentation de l’habitat. Les pertes liées à la consommation ou dégradation des cultures créent de l’insécurité alimentaire, ce qui accroit la pauvreté et entrave le soutien local aux efforts de conservation. Les éléphants sont souvent considérés comme les animaux responsables de la majorité des conflits. S’appuyant sur une approche pluridisciplinaire associant génétique, morphologie, sciences sociales, et eco-éthologie, notre étude vise (1) à mieux caractériser les acteurs et les interactions dans une zone située à la lisière d’une aire protégée, où vivent les deux espèces d’éléphants, et où le conflit est exacerbé par la proximité des cultures humaines et de l’habitat des éléphants ; et (2) à proposer des mesures efficaces et non violentes adaptées au contexte local. Les perspectives sont de soumettre des recommandations pour la gestion du conflit humain-faune sauvage, afin de contribuer à une meilleure protection des champs et par conséquent à l’amélioration des conditions de vie des communautés locales, ainsi qu’à la réduction des pressions de braconnage sur la faune sauvage du parc. Nous avons tout d’abord montré que les deux espèces d’éléphants d’Afrique ainsi que des individus hybrides sont présents dans la zone de Sebitoli, au nord du parc national de Kibale en Ouganda. L’étude de leur comportement en forêt et lors des incursions dans les champs montre qu’ils vivent en groupes mixtes ne permettant pas de caractériser des incursions typiques d’éléphants de forêt et d’autres typiques des éléphants de savane. Plutôt que d’adapter les recommandations de mesures de protection des cultures contre les incursions selon les espèces d’éléphants, il apparait indispensable que les mesures soient adaptées au contexte géographique, foncier, économique et social de chaque village, en tenant compte du comportement nocturne des éléphants mais aussi des autres espèces participant au conflit entre humains et faune sauvage, notamment des espèces menacées et protégées comme les chimpanzés. La diminution des interactions négatives entre humains et faune sauvage est indispensable à une cohabitation pacifique. Cela nécessite de comprendre les besoins de chaque parti et repose sur un équilibre entre développement humain et conservation de la biodiversité.

Parks are essential for protecting biodiversity and finding ways to improve park effectiveness is an important topic. We contributed to this debate by examining spatial and temporal changes in illegal activities in Kibale National Park, Uganda between 2006 and 2016 and used existing data to evaluate how the changes were correlated with the living conditions of people in neighboring communities, as well as patrolling effort. We explore the effectiveness of conservation strategies implemented in Kibale, by quantifying changes in the abundance of nine animal species over two to five decades. While uncertainty in such animal survey data are inherently large and it is hard to generalize across a 795-km2 area that encompasses diverse habitat types, data suggest an increase in animal abundance in the National Park. An increase in patrolling effort by park guards over the decade was correlated with a decline in the number of traps and snares found, which suggests patrolling helped limit resource extraction from the park. The park’s edge was extensively used for illegal forest product extraction, while the setting of snares occurred more often deeper in the forest. Perhaps counter-intuitively, increased community wealth or park-related employment in a village next to the park were positively correlated with increased illegal forest product extraction. Overall, our results suggest that the portfolio of conservation strategies used over the last two to five decades were effective for protecting the park and its animals, although understanding the impact of these efforts on local human populations and how to mitigate any losses and suffering they sustain remains an important area of research and action. It is evident that complex social, political and economic drivers impact conservation success and more interdisciplinary studies are required to quantify and qualify these dimensions.

Megaherbivores play a central role in the evolution and functioning of ecosystems. In tropical forests elephant species are some of the few remaining megaherbivores. Through elephant foraging, nutrients that would be locked in leaves and stems, taking months or years to decay, are quickly liberated for use. In 10 experimental sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda, we set up 10 pairs of plots (4 × 4 m), each pair involved one treatment, elephant dung addition, and one control. After 1 y, we quantified growth (height and leaf number) and survival of young light-demanding (12) and shade-tolerant (19) plant species (439 stems in total). In general, the addition of elephant dung did not increase seedling growth, and it only increased the number of leaves in shade-tolerant plants with a large initial number of leaves. Researchers have speculated that the loss of elephants would shift the composition of African forests to slow-growing tree species. However, this is not supported by our finding that shows some slow-growing shade-tolerant plants grew more new leaves with additional nutrient input from elephant dung, a condition that would occur if elephant numbers increase.

International audience; A species, especially when it is endangered and surrounded by anthropogenic elements, can bethreatened by habitat fragmentation. Food resource availability in the species’ usual or surrogate habitats mayreinforce or decrease its use of certain areas. Our objective was to to determine the influence of natural andanthropogenic variables on spatial distribution of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Wefirst determined the home range of a wild chimpanzee community (hereafter Sebitoli ChimpanzeeCommunity [SCC]) based on global positioning system (GPS) point locations (n¼2,586 direct observationsand feces locations) collected between 2009 and 2013 in Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Wedescribed SCC home range using grid cells (2,959 cells of 100m100m) referencing environmental, spatial,and topographical variables (n¼15). We then determined diet and food species abundance within theirterritory (n¼63 vegetation plots and 18 months phenological survey) and predicted distribution of the10 most foraged fruit species within SCC home range, using environmental, spatial, and topographicalvariables (n¼10) by applying a maximum entropy model (maxent). We then predicted chimpanzee presenceas a function of environmental, spatial, and topographical variables (n¼15) using the maxent model andassessed its truthfulness with the kernel model, based only on GPS point locations. Chimpanzees in Sebitoliwere mostly observed in a core area of 5.42 km2 within the 25-km2 home range. They did not avoid forestedges in contact with human populations, especially males who used larger core areas than females. Factorswith the greatest positive impact on the chimpanzee distribution model (maxent area under the curve[AUC]¼0.907) were related to 3 different food resources: 1) proximity to forest edges considered asattractive because of presence of crops cultivated by local farmers; 2) proximity to a tarmac road that crossesthe SCC home range with shoulders covered by attractive terrestrial herbaceous vegetation; and 3) presenceof wild forest fruiting resources. The results obtained with the maxent predictive model, applied on a finescale, were consistent with the kernel model, based on real observations. Therefore, such an approach may berecommended for surveys or action plans interested in sustainable management of wildlife in ananthropogenic environment and may be a useful tool to better understand parameters of a prefered zone foran endangered species.

ACL(avec facteur d'impacte); International audience; Despite the spread of road infrastructures throughout Africa to support regional development, industry, and tourism, few studies have examined how wild animals adapt their behavior and ecology in road-forest ecotones. Indeed, while numerous studies have demonstrated chimpanzee adaptability in anthropogenic landscapes, none have examined the effects of asphalted highways on wild chimpanzee behaviors. In a 29-month survey, we assessed the dangers posed by an asphalted road crossing the Sebitoli area of Kibale National Park (Uganda). We analyzed 122 individual chimpanzee crossings. Although the asphalted road represents a substantial threat to crossing animals (89 motorized vehicles per hour use this road and individuals of six different primate species were killed in 1 year), chimpanzees took into account this risk. More than 90% of the individuals looked right and left before and while crossing. Chimpanzees crossed in small subgroups (average 2.7 subgroups of 2.1 individuals per crossing event). Whole parties crossed more rapidly when chimpanzees were more numerous in the crossing groups. The individuals most vulnerable to the dangers of road crossing (females with dependents, immature, and severely injured individuals) crossed less frequently compared with non-vulnerable individuals (lone and healthy adolescents and adults). Moreover, healthy adult males, who were the most frequent crossing individuals, led progressions more frequently when crossing the road than when climbing or descending feeding trees. Almost 20% of the individuals that crossed paid attention to conspecifics by checking on them or waiting for them while crossing. These observations are relevant for our understanding of adaptive behavior among chimpanzees in human-impacted habitats. Further investigations are needed to better evaluate the effects of busy roads on adolescent female dispersal and on their use of territories. Mitigation measures (e.g., bridges, underpasses, reduced speed limits, speed-bumps, signposts, or police controls) should be established in this area. Am. J. Primatol. 77:890–900, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

International audience; Differences among females in infant survival can contribute substantially to variance in fitness. Infant survival is a product of external risk factors and investment by kin, especially the mother, and is thus closely tied with the evolution of behavior and life history. Here we present a 9-yr study (2004–2012) of infant survival and sex ratio relative to age and dominance ranks of mothers and the presence of immigrant males in a free-ranging population of gray-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena) in Kibale National Park, Uganda.We consider immigrant males because they are known to increase infant mortality in several other species.We found that infants of older mothers had higher survival than those of younger mothers but that high rank did not confer a significant benefit on infant survival. Female infants had higher survival than male infants. Young, low-ranking females had more male infants than young, high-ranking females, which had slightly more daughters, but this difference declined as females aged because low-ranking females had more daughters as they aged. With limited data, we found a significantrelationship between the presence of male immigrants and infant mortality (falls and unexplained disappearances) to 18 mo. Our results suggest that infant survival in graycheeked mangabeys is most precarious when mothers must allocate energy to their own growth as well as to their infants, that sons of young mothers are at greatest risk, and that immigrant males can negatively affect infant survival.

Spatial and phylogenetical closeness between chimpanzees and humans and health consequences. study case of kibale national park, Uganda. Chimpanzee, our closest relative, is today severely threatened by habitat fragmentation. As a consequence, people and chimpanzees live in increasing proximity. In order to estimate the risks for both species due to such changes, we aim at understanding if chimpanzees avoid the interface and limit occasions of contact with human beings. Fifteen years of research on two chimpanzee communities at Kibale National Park (Uganda) demonstrate that chimpanzees do not avoid forest boundaries, cross tarmac road and that human activities are frequent in the protected area. Direct consequences on chimpanzee health include severe mutilations due to poaching. The diagnosis of similar parasites in both species underlines the potential risk of interspecific transmission and the necessity to expand such study for public health and conservation issues., Le Chimpanzé, espèce vivante la plus proche phylogénétiquement de l’homme, est aujourd’hui menacée de disparition en particulier par la fragmentation des forêts tropicales. Afin d’évaluer les risques pour les deux espèces de cette proximité spatiale en potentielle augmentation, notre objectif est d’étudier si les chimpanzés évitent les interfaces et si leur santé témoignent de ces éventuels contacts. Quinze années de recherche sur deux communautés de chimpanzés sauvages du parc national de Kibale (Ouganda) montrent que les chimpanzés n’évitent pas les lisières, traversent une route à fort trafic et que les activités humaines en forêt sont fréquentes. Nos observations révèlent des conséquences sévères sur leur santé : mutilations dues au braconnage et détection d’agents pathogènes similaires, impliquant probablement des transmissions interspécifiques. Dans un contexte où les maladies émergentes peuvent entraîner des conséquences fatales sur la santé des hommes et des chimpanzés, il est primordial d’approfondir ces travaux pour la santé publique et la conservation., Krief Sabrina, Cibot Marie, Bortolamiol Sarah, Lafosse Sophie, Seguya Andrew, Guillot Jacques. Proximités géographiques et phylogénétiques entre les chimpanzés et les humains et conséquences sanitaires. Exemple du parc national de Kibale en Ouganda. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 166 n°3, 2013. pp. 276-285.

Background Malaria parasites (Plasmodium sp.), including new species, have recently been discovered as low grade mixed infections in three wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) sampled randomly in Kibale National Park, Uganda. This suggested a high prevalence of malaria infection in this community. The clinical course of malaria in chimpanzees and the species of the vectors that transmit their parasites are not known. The fact that these apes display a specific behaviour in which they consume plant parts of low nutritional value but that contain compounds with anti-malarial properties suggests that the apes health might be affected by the parasite. The avoidance of the night-biting anopheline mosquitoes is another potential behavioural adaptation that would lead to a decrease in the number of infectious bites and consequently malaria. Methods Mosquitoes were collected over two years using suction-light traps and yeast-generated CO2 traps at the nesting and the feeding sites of two chimpanzee communities in Kibale National Park. The species of the female Anopheles caught were then determined and the presence of Plasmodium was sought in these insects by PCR amplification. Results The mosquito catches yielded a total of 309 female Anopheles specimens, the only known vectors of malaria parasites of mammalians. These specimens belonged to 10 species, of which Anopheles implexus, Anopheles vinckei and Anopheles demeilloni dominated. Sensitive DNA amplification techniques failed to detect any Plasmodium-positive Anopheles specimens. Humidity and trap height influenced the Anopheles capture success, and there was a negative correlation between nest numbers and mosquito abundance. The anopheline mosquitoes were also less diverse and numerous in sites where chimpanzees were nesting as compared to those where they were feeding. Conclusions These observations suggest that the sites where chimpanzees build their nests every night might be selected, at least in part, in order to minimize contact with anopheline mosquitoes, which might lead to a reduced risk in acquiring malaria infections.