Folia Primatologica最新文献

Globally, the effective protected area network is one of the last resorts for conserving biodiversity. The nature of protected areas depends on the land ownership of the respective countries including India. The landholding in the northeastern states of India remains with native people, thus, 'Community Reserve' (CR) was introduced in 2003. Considering the high number of CR in Meghalaya that are home to many threatened primates, understanding their role in conserving the primates was crucial. We conducted day and night trail surveys in 32 CR of Meghalaya, and a questionnaire survey of local people for their perception of primates. We sampled basal area, tree density, canopy cover, canopy height, bamboo density, and human activity in each CR to test their influence on the occupancy of primates. We recorded the Western hoolock gibbon Hoolock hoolock, capped langur Trachypithecus pileatus, Northern pig-tailed macaque Macaca leonina, Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis, Rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta, and Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis. The primate richness and abundance were higher in the CR of Garo Hills than in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The gibbons had the highest patch occupancy, which was followed by capped langur, Assamese macaque, and pig-tailed macaque. Large-sized CR determined the occupancy of gibbons and Assamese macaques. Canopy cover positively influenced the occupancy of three primates except the Assamese macaque, whereas the canopy height had a positive association with three species of primates. The basal area, and tree density, negatively affected the occurrence of Assamese macaque, northern pig-tailed macaque, and capped langur. Macaques were the most hunted primates. The differential occurrence and abundance in different hill systems may be due to hunting and habitat size rather than habitat quality. Habitat restoration would improve the habitat quality with the involvement of communities to assist in retaining and avoiding the local extinction of primates.

This special issue on Primate Conservation Education and Outreach assembles the largest collection of conservation education interventions focused on primates to date, aiming to highlight the urgent need for educational initiatives to mitigate the ongoing threats to primate species. Despite decades of warnings from primatologists about the escalating risks to primate populations, including habitat loss, illegal hunting, and human-primate conflict, conservation education remains underdeveloped in the field of primatology. This issue explores 20 diverse case studies from across the globe, with contributions from field sites in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. The education programmes discussed range in scope, duration, and target audience, with many linked to long-term research projects. A key finding is the significant variation in programme design and evaluation methods, with challenges in assessing long-term behaviour change and conservation impact. The issue emphasises the importance of creative, participatory approaches such as puppet shows, community outreach, and place-based education, which have proven successful in fostering deeper engagement and understanding of primate conservation. Despite the barriers faced, including limited funding and cultural challenges, the authors stress the importance of both small-scale and long-term educational interventions in the global effort to protect primates. This volume serves as a call to action for primatologists to integrate conservation education into their research and outreach efforts, thereby contributing to the preservation of our closest living relatives.

Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) and the surrounding region in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, host a significant population of Critically Endangered Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) amidst various conservation challenges, including habitat destruction, the illegal pet trade, and human-wildlife conflict. The Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program (GPOCP) employs diverse strategies, including environmental education, to address these challenges. Environmental education helps to connect local students with conservation efforts, educate them about endangered endemic species, and highlight the relationship between human behavior and ecosystem health. Environmental education is critical in fostering sustainable behaviors and raising awareness about conservation issues, particularly in areas where human activities threaten primate biodiversity. Such programs can promote long-term conservation outcomes by engaging communities and empowering individuals to take action. Here, we review the effectiveness of GPOCP's environmental education initiatives, focusing on school visits conducted between 2016 and 2023 that concentrated on orangutan conservation. We analyze data from standardized pre- and post-activity surveys administered to students participating in puppet shows and lectures. Results indicate a substantial increase in knowledge and positive shifts in attitudes toward orangutan conservation among students. However, challenges remain in evaluating long-term behavioral changes and the relative contribution of different conservation interventions. Future efforts will explore tailored educational approaches and impact assessments to enhance conservation outcomes and foster community engagement in safeguarding Bornean orangutans and their habitat.

With increasing replacement of native forests with agriculture, it is important to understand the factors allowing non-human primates to persist, including interactions with potential predators. For small-bodied nocturnal primates, smaller carnivores and domestic dogs that often characterise agroforestry landscapes may be a particular threat, especially for primates like slow lorises, which rely on canopy connectivity and are particularly vulnerable on the ground. We present data collected over 12 years in Indonesia. During a long-term study on Javan slow lorises, we used ad libitum sampling to record 703 instances of slow lorises in proximity to wild small carnivores (Javan palm civets, small Indian civets, Sunda leopard cats, Javan ferret badgers) and interactions with small carnivores (62) and domestic dogs (58) respectively. Most of these interactions were neutral or affiliative, including sharing canopy bridges and sleeping sites. Two negative interactions occurred between lorises and wild carnivores; five potential predation events were linked to dogs. Lorises were less active and more vigilant when carnivores were present. A WhatsApp® group facilitated data collection, increasing detail of observations, especially on interactions with domestic dogs. We saw an overall decline in small carnivores, especially nearer to the village, which could be linked to competition with domestic dogs. A better understanding of the role of dogs in this changing landscape is vital.

Environmental education research methods often focus on measuring changes in people's attitudes toward conservation. While attitudes are an important indicator of change, it is critical to target incentivised behaviour because conservation efforts often involve behavioural changes that are costly to one's self (e.g., reducing water use, purchasing pricier alternatives). In the present study, we measured both attitudes and behaviours in a short-term conservation education program near the primate-rich Kibale National Forest in Western Uganda. Adolescents ( N = 59) participated in a three-hour curriculum over three weeks integrated into an after-school wildlife club. After almost 30 years of successful primate conservation education in this region, we chose a novel taxonomic group (bats) for this study. Our pre-registered study had two conditions: an experimental condition, in which students learned about bats as an important local pollinator species, and a control condition, in which students learned about the moon. Only the experimental condition emphasised conservation's delayed benefits. We compared attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours pre- and post- curriculum. To capture behaviour, we employed an investment task in which participants could invest their own resources in a 'fund' to support work relating to bats or the moon, depending on condition. Across both conditions, participants showed positive shifts in attitudes and knowledge from pre- to post-measures and showed increased investments in bat- and moon-related funds. These findings reveal that short-term conservation education influences adolescents' investment decisions as well as their attitudes and knowledge. Our method can easily be edited for conservation education of any species including endangered primates.

Individual behavior of primates living in small groups is often seen to represent behavior of all group members due to close spatial cohesion. However, given that females expend more energy on reproduction than males (including lactation and infant carrying), females and males may exhibit different behaviors even when maintaining spatial proximity, particularly in highly seasonal or resource-poor environments. We collected 187 hours of data from three dyads (n = 6 individuals) of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) living in a fruit-poor environment in western Thailand during the period of fruit scarcity. We calculated activity budgets, dyad behavioral synchronization, and dyad spatial cohesion. We hypothesized that activity budgets would differ significantly between sexes or pairs would engage in behaviors independently to provide females with an opportunity to obtain more resources. We also hypothesized that pairs would remain in close proximity. Overall, activity budgets exhibited significant variation when analyzed by sex (X2 = 27.693, P ⩽ 0.001) and group (X2 = 119.584, P ⩽ 0.001). Females spent less time resting and vocalizing and more time traveling compared to males. Percentages of synchronized behavior were lower than expected with only 55% of records synchronized (group B: 58.6%; group D: 58.5%; group L: 49.7%). Spatial cohesion, however, was relatively high overall with adults in the same or adjacent trees in 67.1% of paired records but significantly variable across groups (B: 89.4%; D: 73.1%; L: 48.2%; X2 = 190.111, P ⩽ 0.001). We suggest that behavioral synchronization and spatial cohesion may be indicators of pair bond strength, not just the result of pair living. Given differences in activity budgets, low behavioral synchronization, and variable amounts of time pair mates spent apart, we conclude that pair mates should be considered individual actors who engage in behaviors independently from one another, particularly when coping with challenging ecological conditions.

We opportunistically observed 31 cases of responses to sudden loud noises mainly caused by falling rocks and trees in a free-ranging, provisioned group of Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, at Katsuyama, Japan, and analyzed 27 cases for which we successfully recorded their responses. In 88% of the 24 cases in which the highest- or second-highest ranking adult male probably heard the noise, one or both of them vocalized aggressively in response. Other males tended to vocalize when they were far away from the two highest-ranking males (in 5 of 7 cases in which they vocalized). Adult females vocalized in only 8% of cases, even when they fled from the noise source. These findings suggest that, unlike tree-shaking and female-directed aggression - both performed often in the mating season and accompanied by vocalizations in both high- and low-ranking males of Japanese macaques - vocalizing in response to sudden loud noises is usually limited to one or two high-ranking males in the vicinity. This vocal response could be a way for the males to advertise their social status; it may also serve to calm group members scared by the noise, preventing them from fleeing in panic and dispersing widely. Our observations also suggest that males may monitor which other males remain nearby, and that whereas females may scream in response to socially induced fear, they are least likely to do so in response to fear arising from non-social contexts.

Over 91% of the Paraguayan Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest has been cleared and the Gran Chaco is the fastest disappearing habitat on the continent. One of the compounding issues for conservation in Paraguay is the lack of knowledge of the importance of nature amongst the population. Fundación Para La Tierra (PLT) began the country's first Eco-Club program, "Voces de la Naturaleza" (Voices of Nature), in 2016. Three of the curriculums participatory lessons focus on primate conservation. These lessons formed the basis of PLT's Atlantic Forest education programme in 2018 when the team began visiting 22 schools around San Rafael (Tekoha Guasu). To date 26 schools (1,500+ children) across two political departments and four districts have participated in this programme which is now entering its 6th year. The biggest challenges have included the COVID-19 pandemic and the logistics and costs involved in reaching rural and remote schools. Though it is too soon to record observable behavioural change ongoing monitoring over the six year period indicates that children remember the information gained through the participatory methods for several years. We believe that the main reasons for the success of this programme are the collaborations that we have built with the teachers of the schools based on open communication and mutual respect. Though costs can be an issue when beginning, or running, a long-term project we recommend that potential educators not be put off trying and that a lot of good can be achieved with a small amount of funding.

Opportunities for young people to directly experience nature can have positive impacts on the individual, the social group and on society as a whole, through future increased conservation action. We developed a program which engaged young people from Fort Dauphin in a field trip to see wild animals at Nahampoana Reserve. Our aim in offering field trips to young people living in the city was to create a positive emotional opportunity to engage directly with nature with the ultimate goal of protecting lemurs and their habitat. In our analysis, we predicted that participants who completed a survey after a presentation and field trip (assessment post field trip) would recall more correct and detailed facts than those participants who completed their surveys after the presentation only (assessment pre field trip). Our program used a variety of arts-based data collection methods including an initial essay writing component on conservation of lemurs and drawing analysis of observed plants and animals. Our results show, in part, that (A) initial written essays by participants showed misperceptions about lemurs, (B) participants who had attended the field trip prior to drawing their favourite aspect of the reserve, produced more species-specific plant depictions, and (C) participants who were involved in a presentation, field trip, and final group discussion came up with four principles for protecting lemurs and their environment. Upon analysis after the study, we gained the additional insight of being able to evaluate our survey methods.