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The establishment and reproduction of a group of semifree‐ranging mandrills
Author(s) -
Feistner Anna T. C.,
Cooper Robert W.,
Evans Siǎn
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430110605
Subject(s) - biology , reproduction , offspring , deciduous , ecology , threatened species , gallery forest , zoology , pregnancy , habitat , genetics
Mandrills, Mandrillus sphinx , colorful terrestrial primates from the tropical forests of West Central Africa, are poorly known in the wild. The formation at the International Medical Research Center of Franceville, Gabon, of a semifreeranging, cohesive, reproducing group of mandrills in a highly naturalistic setting provided a unique resource for the study of this threatened species. The acquisition and release of 15 mandrills into a 1.4 ha and then a 5.3 ha enclosure of natural gallery forest is described. Thirty‐three births in the group resulted in 23 surviving offspring over a period of six years. Apparent early reproduction in females was indicated by small size at conception, presence of several deciduous teeth at the time of first parturition, continued weight gain through subsequent births, and decreasing inter‐birth intervals. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.