Mt. Assirik, Senegal

Brief History

Research in the Parc National du Niokolo-Koba (environs of Mont Assirik) was conducted by members of the Stirling African Primate Project between 1976 - 1979; this study remains the longest-term project on "savanna" chimpanzees. It has been protected from all hunting since 1950 and is a relatively intact ecosystem.

Primary sources for the following: Baldwin et al. (1982), McGrew et al. (1981).

SITE DATA

Name: Parc National du Niokolo-Koba, aka Mt. Assirik
Location: Senegal, 12° 53' N, 12° 46' W
Status: National Park
Area: Park is 8130km2; study area roughly 50km2
Altitude: roughly 100-311m (the peak of Mt. Assirik)
Temp: mean daily maximum: 35°C (highest max: 44°C); mean daily minimum: 23°C (lowest min: 16°C)
Rainfall: 954mm/yr (N=4 yrs); 7 dry months/yr (where dry = less than 1/24 of mean annual total)
Vegetation: 55% grassland, 37% woodland, 5% bamboo, 3% forest
Human
influence: 		Park founded in 1925, all hunting banned in 1950; no people live within park except for guards and tourist camps.
Disturbance ratings -- 1, 1?, 1, 2, 1
Closest
village: 		more than 15km?
Species
studied: 		P. t. verus, Papio papio, Cercopithecus sabaeus
Population
density: 		0.09 individuals per km2
Fauna: includes Panthera leo, P. pardus, Crocuta crocuta, Lycaon pictus, Syncerus caffer
Study
period: 		Feb. 1976 - Dec. 1979
Habituation: Poor
Research
presence: 		Continuous while project running
Conservation: ---
Current
research: 		None
Methods: Indirect evidence, all occurrences
Contact
person: 		---
Habitat photos ---
Maps ---
Aerial photos ---
Bibliography References for data found in this site, and other sources relating to Assirik
  • Anderson, J. R. & McGrew, W. C. (1984). Guinea baboons (Papio papio) at a sleeping site. Am. J. Primatol. 6: 1-14.
  • Baldwin, P. J. (1979). The natural history of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) at Mt. Assirik, Senegal. Ph. D. thesis, Stirling University.
  • Baldwin, P. J., McGrew, W. C. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1982). Wide-ranging chimpanzees at Mt. Assirik, Senegal. Int. J. Primatol. 3: 367-385.
  • Baldwin, P. J., Sabater Pi, J., McGrew, W. C. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1981). Comparisons of nests made by different populations of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Primates. 22: 474-486.
  • Bermejo, M., Illera, G. & Sabater Pi, J. (1989). New observations on the tool-behavior of chimpanzees from Mt. Assirik (Senegal, West Africa). Primates. 30: 65-73.
  • Brewer, S. (1978). The Chimps of Mt. Assirik. New York: Knopf.
  • Harrison, M. J. S. (1984). Patterns of range use by the green monkey, Cercopithecus sabaeus, at Mt. Assirik, SenegaFolia primatol. 41: 157-179.
  • Kortlandt, A. (1983). Marginal habitats of chimpanzeesJ. Hum. Evol. 12: 231-278.
  • Kortlandt, A. (1983). Reply to McGrew, Baldwin & Tutin. J. Hum. Evol. 12: 415-417.
  • McBeath, N. M. & McGrew, W. C. (1982). Tools used by wild chimpanzees to obtain termites at Mt. Assirik, Senegal: The influence of habitat. J. Hum. Evol. 11: 65-72.
  • McGrew, W. C., Baldwin, P. J. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1981). Chimpanzees in a hot, dry and open habitat: Mt. Assirik, Senegal, West Africa. J. Hum. Evol. 10: 227-244.
  • McGrew, W. C., Baldwin, P. J. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1983). A reply to Kortlandt's "Marginal habitats of chimpanzees". J. Hum. Evol. 12: 413-417.
  • McGrew, W. C., Baldwin, P. J. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1988). Diet of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Mt. Assirik, Senegal: I. Composition. Am. J. Primatol. 16: 213-226.
  • McGrew, W. C., Sharman, M. J., Baldwin, P. J. & Tutin, C. E. G. (1982). On early hominid plant-food niches. Curr. Anthropol. 23: 213-214.
  • McGrew, W. C., Tutin, C. E. G., Baldwin, P. J., Sharman, M. J. & Whiten, A. (1978). Primates preying on vertebrates: new records from West Africa (Pan troglodytes verus, Papio papio, Cercopithecus sabaeus). Carnivore. 1: 41-45.
  • McGrew, W. C., Tutin, C. E. G., Collins, D. A. & File, S. K. (1989). Intestinal parasites of sympatric Pan troglodytes and Papio spp. at two sites: Gombe (Tanzania) and Mt. Assirik (Senegal). Am. J. Primatol. 17: 147-155.
  • Sharman, M. J. (1981). Feeding, ranging and social organization of the guinea baboon. Ph. D. thesis, University of St. Andrews.
  • Tutin, C. E. G., McGrew, W. C. & Baldwin, P. J. (1981). Responses of wild chimpanzees to potential predators. pp. 136-141 IN Chiarelli, A. B. & Corruccini, R. S. (Ed.), Primate Behavior and Sociobiology. New York: Springer-Verlag.
  • Tutin, C. E. G., McGrew, W. C. & Baldwin, P. J. (1983). Social organization of savanna-dwelling chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, at Mt. Assirik, Senegal. Primates. 24: 154-173.
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