Many species across a range of primate genera, irrespective of dietary and locomotory specializations, can and will incorporate agricultural crops in their diets. However, while there is little doubt that rapid, extensive conversion of natural habitats to agricultural areas is significantly impacting primate populations, primate crop foraging behaviours cannot solely be understood in terms of animals shifting to cultivated crops to compensate for reduced wild food availability. To fully understand why, how and when primates might incorporate crops in their dietary repertoire, we need to examine primate crop foraging behaviour in the context of their feeding strategies and nutritional ecology. In this paper I briefly outline current debates about the use of terms such as 'human-wildlife conflict' and 'crop raiding' and why they are misleading, summarise current knowledge about primate crop foraging behaviour, and highlight some key areas for future research to support human-primate coexistence in an increasingly anthropogenic world.
Hill, Catherine M.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences\Department of Social Sciences
Year of publication: 2017Date of RADAR deposit: 2017-01-20