Activity Pattern, Feeding Ecology and Population Survey of De Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus Neglectus) in Bilo Nopa Woreda, Ilu Aba Bor Zone, Oromia Regional State, South Western Ethiopia.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018-08-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The present study was conducted on the population status and behavior of De Brazzas monkeys in the Bilo Nopa Woreda, Ilu Aba Bor Zone, Oromia Regional State, South-Western Ethiopia, from October 2017 to May 2018. The objectives of this study were to assess the population survey, determine activity pattern, examine feeding ecology and of de Brazza’s in Bilo Nopa woreda. Materials used during the study period included digital camera, geographic positioning system (GPS), and note books. Activity pattern, feeding ecology and population survey were studied for 5 minutes with 15 minutes interval scan sampling. The result was a total of 25 de Brazza's monkeys in 3 groups and 1 solitary; including 16 adults, 4 youngsters and 5 infants. The overall activity time budgets of the De Brazza’s monkeys were given in figure 8. De Brazza’s monkeys in spent 47.91% of their time in feeding, 19.97% moving and 20.65% resting, 3.51% of its time playing, 2.33% aggression, 5.13% grooming and 0.5% sexual activities. Individuals in average spent more time in feeding (48.97%) during the wet season than during the dry season (48.64%). They spent more time moving (19.84%) and resting (20.74%) during the wet season than during the dry season (16.94%) and (21.37%), respectively. They spent more time in social activities such as playing (33.61%) and aggression (2.4%) during the dry season than during the wet season, where they spent (2.74%) playing and (1.66%) aggression. More time was also spent on other activities such as grooming (6.78%) during dry than during wet season (5.67%) and sexual activity (0.37) during the wet season than during dry season sexual activity (0.36%). De Brazza’s monkeys depended most on fruits, which accounting for 76.95% of the overall diet (n= 1332 feeding records), young leaves (13.13%) made the second largest parts of their diet. Other important food items consumed were matured leaves (3.34%), seeds and gums (2.43%) and blossoms were (1.25%). Of the 21 plant species that contributed for the overall diets of de Brazza’s, based on total percentage contribution of plant food items, Ficus species were the most consumed species. All individuals in spent more time feeding on fruit during the dry season (80.32%) than during the wet season (77.37%). Deforestation by the local people for coffee plantation, agricultural expansion, trapping, over grazing and commercial purposes could impose threat to the de Brazza’s monkey populations in the future. Therefore, it is recommended that management action should be taken to conserve the most important food resources such as Ficss species and S. guineense plant trees and further investigation should be conducted to determine the sustainable and beneficial level to integrate the local people in the conservation of wildlife.
Description
Keywords
De Brazza’s Monkeys, Population, Behavior, Diet, Threat