Wildlife is increasingly exposed to environmental pollution, but data illustrating to what extent this exposure can impact health and survival of endangered species is missing. In humans, hair matrix analysis is a reliable tool for assessing cumulative exposure to organic pollutants such as pesticides but has rarely been used in other primates for this purpose. LC/MS-MS and GC/MS-MS multi-residue methods were used to screen the presence of 152 organic pollutants and their metabolites belonging to 21 different chemical families in hair samples from our closest relative, the chimpanzee. Samples were collected from 20 wild chimpanzees in Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda and 9 captive chimpanzees in the Réserve Africaine de Sigean, France. In total, 90 chemicals were detected, 60 in wild chimpanzees and 79 in captive chimpanzees. The median concentrations of detected chemicals in captive individuals were significantly higher than those in wild chimpanzees. Hair from the captive individuals at RAS was sampled a second time after 6 months in an environment of reduced exposure to these pollutants (diet of organic food, decreased use of plastic food and water containers). The number of chemicals detected in captive chimpanzees reduced from 79 to 63, and their concentrations were also significantly reduced. In the present study we report for the first time the use of hair analysis to detect organic pollutants in primate hair. We conclude that both wild and captive chimpanzees are exposed to a large range of different chemicals through their diet. Our study provides surprising and alarming evidence that besides the direct threats of poaching, deforestation and diseases, wild chimpanzees might be endangered by indirect consequences of anthropic activities. As chimpanzees are our closest relatives, our results should be considered as an alert for human health as well.

Background: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens significantly impact both human and animal health and therefore are of major concern to the scientific community. Knowledge of tick-borne pathogens is crucial for prescription of mitigation measures. In Africa, much research on ticks has focused on domestic animals. Little is known about ticks and their pathogens in wild habitats and wild animals like the endangered chimpanzee, our closest relative.Methods: In this study, we collected ticks in the forested habitat of a community of 100 chimpanzees living in Kibale National Park, Western Uganda, and assessed how their presence and abundance are influenced by environmental factors. We used non-invasive methods of flagging the vegetation and visual search of ticks both on human team members and in chimpanzee nests. We identified adult and nymph ticks through morphological features. Molecular techniques were used to detect and identify tick-borne piroplasmids and bacterial pathogens.Results: A total of 470 ticks were collected, which led to the identification of seven tick species:Haemaphysalis parmata(68.77%),Amblyomma tholloni(20.70%),Ixodes rasussensu lato (7.37%),Rhipicephalus dux(1.40%),Haemaphysalis punctaleachi(0.70%),Ixodes muniensis(0.70%) andAmblyomma paulopunctatum(0.35%). The presence of ticks, irrespective of species, was influenced by temperature and type of vegetation but not by relative humidity. Molecular detection revealed the presence of at least six genera of tick-borne pathogens (Babesia,Theileria,Borrelia,Cryptoplasma,EhrlichiaandRickettsia). The Afrotopical tickAmblyomma thollonifound in one chimpanzee nest was infected byRickettsiasp.Conclusions: In conclusion, this study presented ticks and tick-borne pathogens in a Ugandan wildlife habitat whose potential effects on animal health remain to be elucidated.Graphical

Alors que la place des populations locales dans la conservation de l’environnement est largement étudiée et discutée, en pratique l’expression « conservation-communautaire » regroupe une multitude de projets allant d’une dynamique top-down institutionnalisée à une dynamique bottom-up fonctionnant par essai-erreur. Avec la conservation, de nouveaux acteurs apparaissent, des messages diffusent, chacun s’appropriant les idées circulantes à sa manière. Dans le cadre d’une étude interdisciplinaire centrée sur les interactions entre bonobos, humains et habitats dans un espace de conservation communautaire initiée par l’ONG locale Mbou-Mon-Tour dans le Territoire de Bolobo (République Démocratique du Congo), nous nous sommes intéressés aux évolutions du statut du bonobo, animal de normes (au sens de règles édictées par des autorités publiques), animal support de développement économique et animal objet de savoirs locaux et scientifiques. Alors que le respect de l’interdit alimentaire local s’amenuisait, le projet de conservation communautaire a renforcé cet interdit en associant à la coutume locale – le bonobo est un humain ayant fui en forêt en raison de dettes impayées, il est porteur de malchance – les lois nationales et internationales et en créant localement de nouvelles normes (forêts de protections communautaires). La conservation du bonobo est utilisée en tant que moteur de développement. Le bonobo efface ses dettes vis-à-vis de la communauté humaine et devient porteur d’un espoir local, « le diamant de Bolobo ». Les interactions entre les différents acteurs entraînent aussi une hybridation des savoirs locaux et scientifiques, participant à l’évolution des savoirs des uns et des autres. Ces résultats préliminaires concernant les modifications des statuts du bonobo sont probablement un des signes de changements plus profonds. Notre implication locale, à la fois dans la conservation et dans la recherche scientifique centrée sur le bonobo rend difficile une analyse plus poussée des jeux d’acteurs. En revanche, dans la suite, une étude par un anthropologue de la conservation permettrait de compléter cette première analyse pour faire ressortir les lieux de conflits et de tensions ainsi que les lieux de collaborations engendrés par cette dynamique de conservation.

Frugivorous primates have developed several strategies to deal with wild fruit scarcity, such as modifying their activity budget or enlarging their diet. Agricultural expansion threatens primate habitats and populations (e.g., disease transmission, agrochemical exposure), but it also increases crop feeding opportunities. We aimed at understanding whether maize presence close to the natural habitat of chimpanzees, a threatened species, would lead to significant behavioral modifications. We monitored 20 chimpanzees over 37 months in Kibale National Park, Uganda, with maize gardens at the forest edge. Based on focal nest-to-nest data, we analyzed their diet, activity budget, and energy balance depending on wild fruit and maize availability. We found that the Sebitoli area is a highly nutritive habitat for chimpanzees, with large and caloric wild fruits available all year long. The chimpanzees opportunistically consume maize and exploit it by resting less during maize season. However, no significant variation was found in daily paths and energy expenditures according to maize availability. No behavioral or energy modification was observed regarding wild resources either. Despite the availability of nutritious domestic resources, chimpanzees still exploit wild fruits and do not limit their movements. Thus, their contribution to seed dispersal and forest regeneration in this area is not affected.