Time budgets and activity patterns of the southern gelada (Theropithecus gelada obscurus) in a human‐modified landscape, Wollo, Ethiopia

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding the behavioural ecology of primates in human disturbance areas is crucial to developing conservation management plan. Southern geladas (Theropithecus gelada obscurus) are endemic subspecies of geladas that are threatened by habitat loss and degradation in the Ethiopian Highlands. During the 18‐months period, we conducted this intensive study in an unprotected area of human‐modified landscape to examine the diurnal time budgets and activity patterns of southern geladas. We quantified the time budget data from a band of southern gelada using instantaneous scan sampling method. Southern geladas had an overall diurnal activity budget of 49.5% feeding, 17.5% resting, 16.2% moving, 13.0% grooming and 3.0% socialising. The band spent significantly more time feeding during the dry season than the wet season. However, the band spent significantly more time during the wet season than the dry season in resting and grooming activities. We observed variations in the trend of activity patterns during the daylight hours between the wet and dry seasons. We found consistent relationships between monthly time budget and food availability. Our results contribute to improve our knowledge on the behavioural ecology of gelada populations in human‐modified landscape across the Ethiopian Highlands.