Novelty Response of Wild African Apes to Camera Traps

Abstract

Graphical Abstract Highlights d Bonobos and gorillas had stronger looking impulses compared to chimpanzees d Young apes looked longest at camera traps compared to mature individuals d Presence of a research site or conspecifics reduced the duration of looking d Both social and environmental factors affect great ape curiosity in the wild In Brief Kalan et al. use a large-scale field experiment to assess the reaction of wild great apes toward a novel object: camera trap devices. Bonobos show the strongest looking impulse and are more neophobic than either gorillas or chimpanzees. Additional social and environmental effects on reactions demonstrate the complexities of animal curiosity.

Innovations in Camera Trapping Technology and Approaches: The Integration of Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence

“…Furthermore, AI-while able to assist in classification of species in an image-cannot perform the full range of activities of a human participant. Camera trap footage can provide more information than simply the presence of an animal and is increasingly being used in behavioural studies [91][92][93][94]. While some research uses AI to recognise animal behaviours, this has been less successful than the simple identification of a species [5].…”

Animal Behavior: Ape Curiosity on Camera

“…As such, animals behave according to the costs and benefits of exploring something new, potentially dangerous. In a new study in this issue of Current Biology, Ammie Kalan, Hjalmar Kü hl and colleagues [1] report the behavioral responses of wild chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas to camera traps.…”

“…Consequently, studies aiming to address curiosity should best avoid direct human observation. The use of video camera traps, applied by Kalan and colleagues [1], is a relatively non-invasive, yet effective approach to obtain genuine reactions to novel items in wild apes. Camera traps also enable researchers to address novelty responses with the great unknown -wild animals that are not habituated to humans.…”

“…Camera traps also enable researchers to address novelty responses with the great unknown -wild animals that are not habituated to humans. Kalan and colleagues [1] studied an impressive 43 different groups of the three African ape species distributed across 14 sites ( Figure 1).…”

“…Moreover, the authors propose that the observed species differences in camera trap responses are due to variation in social structure, such as lack of clear leadership in bonobo communities contributing to increased neophobia in this species. Studies on novelty responses in wild primates are rare, and comparisons between species are so far lacking (but, see [2]), making the contribution of Kalan and colleagues [1] highly valuable.…”