Behavioural and physiological responses of chacma baboons ( <i>Papio ursinus</i> ) to human‐induced mortality in anthropogenically modified habitat

Abstract As a result of expanding human populations and the anthropogenic modification of natural habitats, many wildlife populations are living in increasing proximity to humans. While this may provide benefits to some species through increased access to resources, sharing space and resources often leads to negative interactions or ‘conflict’ between humans and wildlife. In some cases, this conflict can result in permanent injuries or mortality of animals, but the impact of these killing or persecution events on surviving individuals is poorly understood. Here, we report on the impact of two significant persecution events during a long‐term study of a group of chacma baboons ( Papio ursinus ) in South Africa that led to multiple fatalities and injuries. Through taking the opportunity to integrate the behavioural and physiological responses of the baboons to these unpredictable and cumulative events, we provide unique insights into the impacts of human persecution on wildlife. Persecution events did not affect the overall activity budgets of the baboons, but injured animals fed less and rested more immediately after the shootings. Ranging behaviours were significantly modified after both events, with baboons initially travelling faster and further away from their sleeping site—which was the shooting location—before ultimately abandoning this sleeping site and expanding their ranging area. The persecution events increased both behavioural anxiety and physiological stress levels in the baboons, with some evidence of a cumulative effect of two fatal shooting incidents occurring in relatively quick succession on the latter. At the same time, the baboons reduced within‐group aggression and shifted their grooming partners, with lower ranked females developing more evenly distributed grooming patterns, similar to those of the higher ranking females, after the events. Collectively, these results highlight the significant costs on surviving animals associated with persecution events in human‐modified habitats, even in a context where most interactions are non‐conflictual, and most feeding is commensal, emphasizing the challenges for wildlife in balancing the benefits and risks of living alongside humans in anthropogenic environments. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.