A road traversing a protected area has little effect on feeding and foraging behaviour of yellow baboons

The Tanzania-Zambia (TANZAM) Highway traversing Mikumi National Park (MINAPA) has been a concern for wildlife managers since it was first paved in 1973-1974. After its upgrade in 1989-1990, researchers have documented increasing traffic resulting in considerable animal injuries and mortalities. Yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in MINAPA use the road as the bridge to and from foraging areas, therefore in addition to the risk of mortality road use could potentially have significant influence on their feeding behavior. However, knowledge on the influences of the TANZAM highway in the feeding behavior of yellow baboons is sparse. Using focal animal sampling techniques, we collected data on feeding and foraging behavior of two habituated troops of yellow baboons to examine to what extent the TANZAM highway is important in their feeding and foraging behavior. Results showed that in relation to habitat availability, visitation to habitat types reflect actual habitat choice of baboons. In general, yellow baboons less frequently visit and spent less time on the highway than natural habitats. Whenever they were on the highway, adult females and subadult males engage more into feeding, resting and socializing, while adult males were more vigilant. The major dietary compositions were fruits, seeds, leaves, sap, and invertebrates, almost exclusively collected from natural habitats, foods from the highway were opportunistically consumed. This study provides empirical evidence and concludes that yellow baboons do not directly depend on the highway for food, rather they use the TANZAM highway as normal part of their home range. However, its location near sleeping sites may have significant impact on baboons' activity budget. With these findings, we recommend strict implementation of rules against park littering and animal feeding in protected areas traversed by highways.