How Do Primates Survive Among Humans? Mechanisms Employed by Vervet Monkeys at Lake Nabugabo, Uganda

Abstract

Tropical deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate and while many studies focus on primate adaptations to forest fragment, few studies investigate the impacts of highly degraded areas, where primates cohabit with humans. Here, we investigate how vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) survive and prosper in an extensively modified humanized landscape surrounding the Lake Nabugabo Field Station, Uganda. While the group suffered from deaths caused by dog attacks, electrocution, poisoning to deter crop raiding, and hunting, they appeared to prosper by having a mixed feeding and ranging strategy. This strategy involved consuming a diverse diet that was heavily reliant on a few large fruiting trees, raiding crops, and using a small home range with intense use of specific areas. We propose a six-point approach to improve the conservation status of primates in such degraded habitats