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Population history of chimpanzees introduced to Lake Victoria’s Rubondo Island

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Abstract

Between 1966 to 1969, Bernhard Grzimek (Frankfurt Zoological Society, FZS) introduced chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) previously held in European institutions to Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Earlier publications report various numbers of released animals and that all founders originated from West Africa. We revise these assumptions through consultation of archived FZS records and genetic analyses of surviving descendants. Accordingly, 17 chimpanzees were transported to Africa in four waves, with male–female ratios of 3:8, 1:0, 1:0 and 2:2; one female died in transit. Thus, 16 chimpanzees were released in total. FZS and studbook records allocate a West African provenance to only 19% of the founders and a generic “Africa” origin to 56%. Still, studbook records render it unlikely that any of the founders were captive-born. In addition, our genetic analyses based on biological samples from the current descendants trace the geographical origin of their ancestors back to West Africa (P. t. verus) and Central Africa (P. t. troglodytes). Based on counts of individuals and night nests, we estimate that the population, since 1969, grew to around 35 individuals in 2014 (annual increase 3.3%). Thus, chimpanzees released onto a large forested island free from predators or hunting pressure, habitat destruction and conspecific competition can form a self-sustaining island population without human support.

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Acknowledgements

The Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute, the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology and the Tanzania National Parks Authority kindly enabled JNM to conduct research on Rubondo. The study adhered to the IPS code of best practices in field primatology. JNM is grateful to Klara Petrželková and Markus Borner for guidance and technical assistance, to the managers of Rubondo Island National Park for providing logistical support, as well as to her team of trackers. Core funding came from the Honeyguide Foundation and Asilia Africa (via Jeroen Harderwijk, Damian Bell and Allen Earnshaw). VS thanks Gustl Anzenberger for additional information and comments on the manuscript. FS is indebted to institutions enabling archival research in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (Hessischer Rundfunk, Institut für Stadtgeschichte, Zoologische Gesellschaft) and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Tanzania National Archives). CR thanks Christiane Schwarz (DPZ), who assisted with laboratory work. We thank F. Carlsen and T. de Jongh, coordinators of the European Endangered Species Programme, for information on the provenance of chimpanzees in European zoos.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL), London, UK

    Josephine N. Msindai & Volker Sommer

  2. Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany

    Christian Roos

  3. Forschungszentrum Gotha der Universität Erfurt (FZG), Gotha, Germany

    Felix Schürmann

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  1. Josephine N. Msindai
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Correspondence to Josephine N. Msindai.

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Msindai, J.N., Roos, C., Schürmann, F. et al. Population history of chimpanzees introduced to Lake Victoria’s Rubondo Island. Primates 62, 253–265 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00884-5

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