Nesting behaviour of the geat apes
Auteurs:Kyrrestad, Ingelin
Année de publication:2014
Date de publication:2014
Nesting behaviour of the great apes is considered to be night-time behaviour, and it has been widely studied of apes in the wild with focus on preferred tree species, heights of the nests, and nest group sizes. There are also several different theories on why this behaviour occurs. In this thesis, different theories behind nest building behaviour will be discussed as well as nesting behaviour in captive settings as this is rarely studied and may have implications for the welfare of captive apes.The chimpanzee, the gorilla, the bonobo and the orangutan all use nests as sleeping platforms during the night. Sleep and nesting is closely related. Day nests are sometimes built to rest, eat and groom in, but night-nests are more complex and the apes use more energy and time building night-nests. There is no doubt; “nest building forms an integral part of the behavioural repertoire of all wild populations of great apes”. McGrew described it as “.....the most solid of norms” in their daily activity budgets. Without any guidance from other apes, an individual ape will try to build a nest or a nest-like structure; early analyses could prove that there is a genetic component to nest construction. It is also clear that young apes that are more exposed to nest building adults are much more efficient nest constructors and they also build stronger nests. This supports the theory that primates make conscious decisions about the nest building. Some researchers have even suggested that the knowledge and technological skills that great apes possess about nest building may be a precursor to tool use; both of these skills require sophisticated cognition and thinking.
There are four main hypotheses behind this behaviour which will be discussed in this thesis: Anti-predation; Increased thermoregulation and shelter; Increased comfort ability and quality of sleep; Anti-pathogen...