Carnivority and Cannibalism Observed among Forest-living Chimpanzees

Abstract

The author observed three times Cimpanzees eat meat in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, Eeast Africa. On two of the occasions the preys in turn were a young blue monky (Cercopithecus mitis) and a young black and white Colobus monkey (Colobus polykomos). On the final occasion, however, it is worthy of note, the prey was a newborn chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). In connection with the meat-eating among chimpanzee, several interesting behavior patterns, such as cooperative hunting, begging, sharing and carrying of the preys, were observed. All this seems highly important in considering the process of hominization. From these observations it became clear that meat-eating occurs not only among sevanna- living chimpanzees but also among forest-living chimpanzees.