Objectives: Baboons possess sophisticated physical and social cognitive abilities; hence, the lack of evidence to date of large-scale behavioral variation in these primates is puzzling. Here we studied a candidate for such variation—the stripping of barkfrom Acacia robusta trees for consumption of the sap and soft tissue underneath—in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.Materials and Methods: We surveyed an are...
Objectives: Baboons possess sophisticated physical and social cognitive abilities; hence, the lack of evidence to date of largescale behavioral variation in these primates is puzzling. Here we studied a candidate for such variation—the stripping of bark from Acacia robusta trees for consumption of the sap and soft tissue underneath—in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Materials and Methods: We surveyed an ar...
Baboons in Gorongosa National Park have been observed to strip bark off Acacia robusta trees, chew the fibres underneath the bark, and spit out wadges. These actions leave identifiable marks on trees. Work conducted during 2018 indicates regional variation exists within the park1. Some trees exhibit stripping on the trunk, likely by elephants, in addition to (or instead of) on upper branches. We resurveyed all ...