A new study explores how chimpanzees at Bulindi manage the danger of crossing a busy main road that crosses their territory. Using a unique 3-year dataset of video-recorded road crossings, the study reveals that chimpanzees at Bulindi use behavioural strategies to reduce the risk of collision with vehicles. Nevertheless, the study also indicates that the chimpanzees, especially males, are becoming tolerant of the dangers presented by the road.
Overall, the research highlights the risk from road upgrades in Africa to the survival of endangered species like chimpanzees and proposes mitigation measures that could enhance safety—both for the chimps and human road users.
The article, published in the American Journal of Primatology, is Open Access and can be accessed here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.70000
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