Well , la - di - da ! Who know great apes had such o.k. tastes ? Gorillas in parts of the Congo are at times seen fray at the soil , seemingly in search of bugs and grubs . However , raw inquiry has shown that they ’re actually reconnoitre for a much more specific food rootage : truffles .
These findings were based on reflexion of western lowland gorillas in two localities in the Republic of Congo ’s Nouabalé - Ndoki National Park : the Goualougo Triangle and the Djéké Triangle .
Researchers made daily observance of four Gorilla gorilla groups and watched as they scratched the soil of the forest base to extract deer truffle species , identified asElaphomyces labyrinthinus . These ground - borne lumps are the fruiting body of an ascomycete fungus and , just like the ones you get on fancy pasta saucer , are a just source of nutrition .
The discovery also adds Gorilla gorilla to the small group of animals known to seek out truffles . While truffles consume by man are typically unearthed with the help of trained pig or dog-iron , some furious beast , such as birds and small mammalian like vole and Minnesotan , are known to forage for them . Other great ape specie , like bonobos , have also been seenmunching on forage trufflesin the rain forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo .
The recent observations of gorillas joining this earthnut - hunting troupe suggest there may be a social or cultural element to the forage . The researchers noted that only some Gorilla gorilla mathematical group partake in truffle hunting , suggest the behaviour might be passed down within community . Interestingly , some gorillas may give up the conduct when they migrate from one group to another or vice versa .
" This is an exciting finding for our sympathy of Gorilla gorilla forage behavior , and we regain indications of social implications of stain scratching within groups . For example , an adult female emigrated from one Gorilla gorilla group where this conduct was rare to one where it was nearly a daily occurrent , and modified her habits , " David Morgan , a environmentalist at Lincoln Park Zoo necessitate in the study , say in astatement .
The leading generator of the paper is Gaston Abea , making him the first Indigenous Person in Ndoki to become the lead author of a peer - reviewed scientific report . He hails from Bomassa , the nearest village to the park , and belongs to the semi - nomadic Bangombe people . Since 2005 , he has been among roughly 100 Congolese Research Assistants rail at Ndoki , many of whom fall from nearby settlement and autochthonic Ba’Aka communities .
Abea explains that the findings were only made possible through his culture ’s traditional knowledge and tracking science that were used to document this behavior in detail . His donation is a powerful reminder that meaningful science and conservation do n’t exist in a vacuum – they thrive when they cover Indigenous cognition , age - old custom , and mystifying - rooted connections to the land .
“ My people ’s traditional cognition of these forests is endangered by advanced lifestyles but is proving priceless in continuing to study and preserve these ecosystems , ” said Abea .
“ Our root used to hunt down gorillas , now we protect them , and I hope to root on other Ba’Akas to do the same . ”
The newfangled study is published in the journalPrimates .
