Flight initiation distance in the presence of perceived risk from human: a case study of olive baboons (Papio anubis) at Yankari Game Reserve
The rapid increase in wildlife tourism may have led to the habituation of some species there by influencing their perceived risk of danger. To measure this, we estimate flight initiation distances of animals. Some primates have developed some dependence on humans for food, they spend more time around human settlements and forage less within their natural habitat, overtime this results in a conflict. We investigated the perceived risk of predation of in a population of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in Nigeria that have become dependent on tourists for food. We used an artificial deterrent – slingshot, used by an observer to approach groups of different compositions and at varying distances. Half of the groups were approached without a deterrent and the other half were approached with a slingshot. The flight initiation distance (FID) for each group sampled was recorded. We found that FID was positively correlated with age and group size of the baboons when approached with a visual cue. Due to a history of negative interactions between baboons and humans in Wikki Camp, this finding is important in the management of conflict.
Keywords: Baboon, Conflict, FID, Habituation, Yankari Game Reserve.
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