Bossou, GuineaBossou, GuineaThis site consists of several small hills that are protected for religious reasons, situated within a primarily agricultural region of small villages and fields. The chimpanzees are not completely isolated; occasional visitors have been seen and maturing individuals have vanished with no evidence of mortality. The nearest neighboring population is in the Nimba Mountains, about 6-10km away. Research at the site has emphasized tool-use and cognition. It is also the only site at which there is evidence of male intercommunity transfer among chimpanzees (see e.g. Sugiyama et al. 1993).
Primary source for the following Site Data is McGrew et. al. (1996), Great Ape Societies (Cambridge University Press), Appendix. As of April 2000, there is a website for Bossou at http://www.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/koudou-shinkei/shikou/chimpworld/home-e.html, with information about the research, photographs, and also information about chimpanzees in Japan.
| Name: | Bossou |
| Location: | Guinea, Lola Prefecture, 7° 39' N, 8° 30' W |
| Status: | Protected |
| Area: | 6 km2 core area (Sugiyama 1984), home range 8-10 km2 (Sakura 1994), 30 km2 overall (GAS appendix) |
| Altitude: | 500-700m |
| Temp: | ? °C |
| Rainfall: | 2000-3000mm (2230mm in 1995) |
| Vegetation: | Primary and secondary forest, cultivated field, savanna |
|
Human influence: |
No hunting, some burning, cultivation, recent provisioning Disturbance ratings -- 4, 4, 2, 3, 4 |
|
Closest village: | Overlaps chimpanzees' range |
|
Species studied: | P. t. verus |
|
Population density: | The community is about 20 individuals; the unusual nature of the habitat renders absolute density figures difficult to interpret |
| Fauna: | Presumably few if any other large mammals |
|
Study period: | 1976-77, 1979-80, 1982-83, 1985-86, 1987-present |
| Habituation: | Good |
|
Research presence: | Permanent |
| Conservation: | Guards' training |
|
Current research: | Social organization, feeding ecology, tool use, growth and development, cognition |
| Methods: | Focal-subject sampling, ad lib observation, field experiment |
|
Contact person: | Y. Sugiyama, Kyoto University Primate Research Institute, Inuyama, Japan 484 |
| Habitat photos | ---- |
| Maps | ---- |
| Aerial photos | ---- |
| Bibliography | References arranged by author or by year of publication. |
| Miscellaneous | Related links |