Unlike humans, who came down from the trees and developed bipedal locomotion, chimpanzees have remained in the original habitat of our ancestors: the tropical rainforests of Africa. In this book, Vernon Reynolds describes in detail the work of a large number of students and senior researchers on the wild chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest Reserve in Western Uganda. He presents a coherent and in-depth account of one chimpanzee community of more than 60 individuals living in the Sonso area in the middle of the Budongo Forest, which he and his colleagues have studied intensively over the last 15 years. The chimpanzees have never been provisioned and live in an entirely natural state. Reynolds describes their forest habitat, their diet and culture, their social organization and behaviour, their diseases, and the threats to them that derive from the actions of people in the surrounding villages, the most serious of these being the presence of snares set by hunters to catch small antelopes and pigs. As founder and head of the Budongo Forest Project, Professor Reynolds has been responsible for compiling the numerous publications, reports, and dissertations written about these chimpanzees. In this book, he combines these new and often unpublished studies with past publications about Budongo Forest. Where appropriate, he also compares the Budongo chimpanzees with wild chimpanzees studied at other sites across Africa. The result is the most comprehensive account of the Budongo chimpanzees ever published, with a wealth of referenced material that will serve as a source of information for many years to come.

About the Author
Vernon Reynolds first began to study the chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest, Uganda, in 1962. He returned to found the Budongo Forest Project in 1990. He is the recipient of the President's Award, American Society of Primatologists, 2000, and the Chairman's Award, Committee for Research and Exploration, National Geographic Society, 2000. Professor Reynolds is also the author of numerous books and journal articles.

Reviews
The content of this book will be of interest to a wide audience including ecologists, primatologists, conservation biologists, and anyone interested in chimpanzees. This text will be especially useful in upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in primate ecology. American Journal of Primatology 70:1-4 (2007)
...a good textbook for students wishing to study chimpanzees... * Primates (2007) 48:249-251 *
...an inspiring read. * Journal of Biosocial Science, Vol 39, No 4 (2007) *
The book, which has an introduction by Jane Goodall, is well written and easy to read. * African Journal of Ecology, 45, 231-232 *
...the wealth of information and critical reflection on conservation makes for powerful reading ad makes this an important book. * Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Vol 14 No 2 (2007) *
This is an enjoyable book with useful references to many aspects of chimpanzee life. It successfully combines many years of ecological and behavioural research with conservation issues and an overview of fieldwork at Budongo. * Kimberley Hockings, Primate Eye *
The Chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest was easily digested. The use of specific examples allows the reader to quickly grasp the mainpoints of each chapter. * Kimberley Hockings, Primate Eye *
Reynolds has written a thorough overview of the work conducted at Budongo with a personal touch, in a volume which will no doubt be referred to time and time again. * Kimberley Hockings, Primate Eye *
Everyone interested in the conservation of natural ecosystems - be they tropical or not, primate habitats or not, or African or not - will find something in Chimpanzees of Budongo useful tools, approaches, solutions, and even attitudes to help reverse the tide of destruction and to instead plant the seeds of local cooperation. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. * Michael P. Ghiglieri, Conservation Biology, Volume 20, No.5 (October 2006) *
The paramount status given to conservation in this book is what makes it stand out among its counterparts...the book is the best yet on emphasizing in detail the various types of human-ape interaction that have implications for the latter's morbidity and mortality...The Bundongo Forest Project is a standard-setter in how to implement a modern field study. * W.C. McGrew, University of Cambridge, Primate Conservation 2006. *
Overall, the book is an effective blend of science and conservation. More than any of its predcessors in the genre, it takes seriously and unflinchingly the challenges of long-term protection of apes in African forests. It deserves as wide an audience as possible among primate conservationists. * W.C. McGrew, University of Cambridge, Primate Conservation 2006. *
Primatologists are lucky to have the dedication, persistence, and sheer determined-ness of a small band of field researchers who have personally held together such long-term studies. Vernon Reynolds, the author of this synthetic new book is one such scientist. For anyone working with chimpanzees or other primates, it is a valuable contribution. Only rarely these days do scientists have the time, energy or financial and logistical support to be able to pull together such a comprehensive work. * P.C. Lee, University of Stirling, Folia primatologica *
An invaluable addition to the description of chimpanzee behavioural diversity, and a classic demonstration of how to combine research and conservation. Even more, it is an elegant introduction to the natural history of a species that still offers important biological puzzles. * Richard Wrangham *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198515463
Author Vernon Reynolds
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 569g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 156mm * 18mm