Understanding the nesting spatial behaviour of gorillas in the Kagwene Sanctuary, Cameroon

Abstract

We use spatial point pattern methods to analyse gorilla nest site data, and to enhance our understanding of the nesting behaviour of the Gorilla gorilla diehli in the Kagwene Sanctuary, Cameroon. Data were split into different seasons and different gorilla groups to better understand gorilla nesting behaviour at these different scales. Gorilla nest site distribution was found to be inhomogeneous and clustered, as a result of the inhomogeneity in the distribution of the environmental factors (such as elevation, slope, vegetation and aspect), and because of the interaction between nest sites. The proposed models reflected therefore a combination of the effect of environmental factors and interaction between nest sites. Predictions from these models showed that there is less space available for gorilla nest site location in the dry season than in the rainy season. It also showed that the Minor gorilla group has a bigger niche than the Major group, suggesting a nesting disadvantage in the larger size group. We also found that nest site locations of Major gorilla groups attract Minor groups, and vice versa.