Variation in behavioural traits of two frugivorous mammals may lead to differential responses to human disturbance

Human activities can lead to a shift in wildlife species’ spatial distribution. Understanding the specific effects of human activities on ranging behaviour can improve conservation management of wildlife populations in human-dominated landscapes. This study evaluated the effects of forest use by humans on the spatial distribution of mammal species with different behavioural adaptations, using sympatric western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee as focal species. We collected data on great ape nest locations, ecological and physical variables (habitat distribution, permanent rivers and topographic data), as well as anthropogenic variables (distance to trails, villages and a permanent research site). Here, we show that anthropogenic variables are important predictors of the distribution of wild animals. In the resource model, the distribution of gorilla nests was predicted by nesting habitat distribution, while chimpanzee nests were predicted first by elevation followed by nesting hab...