Close encounters: responses of road users to wild chimpanzee road crossings in Uganda

Résumé fourni par la source

Expanding road networks increasingly encroach on wildlife home ranges, intensifying human-animal interactions. While ecological consequences like habitat fragmentation or wildlife mortality from vehicle collisions are well-studied, immediate behavioral responses of human road users during wildlife encounters remain underexplored despite their critical impact on safety and conservation. This study investigates behavioral responses of vulnerable (pedestrians, cyclists) and non-vulnerable (motorists) road users during wild chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) crossings in a human-dominated landscape in Bulindi, Uganda. We analyzed 376 opportunistically recorded interactions over 38 months to identify factors influencing road users’ caution (stopping or slowing down without interfering with the chimpanzees, or retreating) and interest (stopping or slowing down to watch, including approaching chimpanzees). Local pedestrians and cyclists displayed significantly higher caution than motorists. Caution and interest did not differ significantly by age or sex among pedestrians. Road users were generally more cautious and curious when chimpanzees actively crossed the road compared to waiting at the roadside. Conversely, encounters with larger chimpanzee groups correlated with reduced caution. Interactions with local field assistants, employed to monitor the chimpanzees, increased both caution and interest among road users. Although no collisions occurred, seven near-miss incidents were documented, primarily linked to poor visibility and reckless motorcyclist behavior. These results show that road user behavior is influenced by physical vulnerability, chimpanzee visibility, and contextual cues, highlighting potential risk factors for both humans and chimpanzees. Despite chimpanzee adaptability to anthropogenic environmental change, roads and traffic remain significant threats to this endangered species. Our findings emphasize the need for measures to limit vehicle speed (e.g., speed humps, signs, traffic controls) and improve visibility on roads traversing chimpanzee habitats, coupled with targeted awareness campaigns for local communities, tourists, and non-resident workers, as well as the integration of locally based and trusted personnel into road safety strategies.