Golden-bellied mangabeys (Cercocebus chrysogaster) consume and share mammalian prey at LuiKotale, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Edward Mclester

doi:10.1017/s026646742200013x

Abstract

AbstractPredator–prey dynamics are an important aspect of community ecology, but predation events are often difficult to observe. Among African primates, observations of mammal predation are particularly uncommon and generally restricted to a few ape and cercopithecoid species. I report five observations of mammal predation by golden-bellied mangabeys (Cercocebus chrysogaster) living in rainforest at the LuiKotale study site, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over 46 all-day follows, mangabeys from one group caught and consumed four duikers (Cephalophinae spp.) and one Alexander’s cusimanse (Crossarchus alexandri). Individuals begged from the feeding individual in three of five observations. I observed one successful attempt at begging, which resulted in an adult female tolerating removal of blue duiker by a juvenile. These are the first detailed observations of mammal predation and food sharing by Cercocebus mangabeys and suggest mammals that feed alongside mangabeys may balance predation risk against social foraging benefits. Food sharing is rarely observed in most cercopithecine monkeys and could provide a useful metric to examine socio-ecological patterns of food acquisition.

Highlights

Predator–prey relationships are important elements of community ecology, influencing animal life histories, population dynamics, and ecosystem structure (Hart 2007; Pettorelli et al 2011)
Observations of mammal predation by primates highlight the ecological role of these animals as predators, while highlighting the potential importance of meat as an important dietary component
I report observations of mammal consumption and sharing by golden-bellied mangabeys (Cercocebus chrysogaster), a large-bodied, predominantly terrestrial monkey that lives in the swamp rainforests of central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Summary

Introduction

Predator–prey relationships are important elements of community ecology, influencing animal life histories, population dynamics, and ecosystem structure (Hart 2007; Pettorelli et al 2011). Given sharing and aggression over food is closely associated with primate social structure and reproductive success, observations of these behaviours can highlight possible social influences (e.g. dominance, mate choice) on food acquisition (Feistner & McGrew 1989; Jaeggi & Van Schaik 2011; Goffe & Fischer 2016). I report observations of mammal consumption and sharing by golden-bellied mangabeys (Cercocebus chrysogaster), a large-bodied, predominantly terrestrial monkey that lives in the swamp rainforests of central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These observations describe mammal predation and accompanying social behaviours that have never been reported previously in this species and are rarely observed among most cercopithecine monkeys.

Methods

E McLester

Findings

Discussion