Date:	August 15, 1974
Observers:	Curt Busse and Kassim Selemani

Figan was traveling alone near Camp when he came across Stumptail (adult male baboon) who was feeding alone on the anus of a freshly killed baby bushbuck. Figan immediately charged after Stumptail and after a 100 m chase, Figan was successful at stealing an entire leg of the carcass from Stumptail.

The Bald Soko troop baboons arrived and fought over the carcass while Figan fed on his piece of meat and maintained proximity to the baboons. When Figan finished his meat he left the baboon troop and fed on ngazi about 200 m from the baboons.

As Figan fed on ngazi, two hours after the kill had been made, there were distant chimp and baboon vocalizations. Figan hurried back over to KK1 where he found Melissa, who had just stolen the remaining carcass from the baboons (see FRMI report by D. Anderson).

Other chimps were present and were arriving. Humphrey and Figan brutally attacked Melissa, and somehow during the skirmish Gigi wound up with the bushbuck skin. After considerable screaming and ASR by Humphrey and Figan, Mike, Faben, Goblin, Athena, and Atlas arrived.

The males repeatedly displayed at and attacked Gigi, but were never successful at taking the carcass from her.

Only Mike and Faben, after very persistent begging, were able to get the smallest scraps of meat and bone from Gigi.

The following is an abridged translation of Curt’s tape recording during this incident:

• 1120. Figan had followed Mike and Patti from Camp to the base of KK2. Mike and Patti began feeding while Figan traveled off to the west. At that moment JUMA MKUKWE came running past us and said that from Camp he had heard the moans of a dying baby bushbuck at the base of KK1. Figan seemed to have sensed what had happened, but he traveled at a normal pace to the west.
• 1126. Figan arrives at Lower KK1 and finds Stumptail (baboon) feeding on the anus of a dead baby bushbuck. The bushbuck had been killed within the last 5 minutes. No other baboons were nearby. Gilka, was watching passively from 20 m away. Figan stopped 10 m from Stumptail and watched briefly before putting hair out and advancing towards Stumptail. Stumptail avoided and ran off with the bushbuck toward the main Kakombe stream. Figan hair-out charged after Stumptail.
• I momentarily lost sight of them as they crossed the stream. There were a few seconds of vocalizations from Stumptail, and Figan emerged from the scuffle with an entire leg of the carcass. At that point Stumptail went 10 m up in a tree to feed on the carcass. Figan sat on the ground 15 m away and fed on his meat. Gilka appeared for an instant, saw Figan with the meat, but then moved off, apparently not wishing to get involved.
• 1128. Gilka leaves. Figan feeds near Stumptail. Bald Soko baboons are nearby but don’t come near Stumptail as perhaps they are afraid of the human observers. The bushbuck was estimated to be about 1 year old.
• 1138. Figan squeaks and feeds with leaves. He seems to be content with what he has.
• 1142. Adult male baboons are nearby. Jumanne identifies them as Bald Soko baboons. One male goes in the tree with Stumpers and sits 5 m off.
• 1144. Stumptail starts acting nervously as other baboons arrive. Figan travels over and sits on the ground right under Stumptail. An adult male baboon approaches Stumptail who threatens and leaps at the intruder, and DROPS THE CARCASS 4 m TO THE GROUND. The carcass lands only 5 feet from Figan who goes bipedal, looks at the carcass, hesitates and watches as an adolescent male baboon grabs and runs off with the carcass. Several baboons charge after the possessor of the carcass.
• Figan had made no attempt to grab the carcass (though he easily could have snatched it) and he made no attempt to chase after the baboon who got the carcass. Figan still had his large piece of meat, and his behavior can now best be described as “proximity maintaining” as he follows the baboons around.
• 1153. Baboons rush off with the carcass and Figan runs after then. We have very poor observation of the baboons, as the baboons are noticeably disturbed by our presence and we are therefore staying quite far away from them. Baboons rush off with the carcass again, crossing the Kakombe stream near KK1, and Figan follows after them.
• 1155. Adult male baboons (including Stumptail) are now feeding from the carcass. Figan is feeding in a tree directly above the baboons.
• 1200. Stumptail watches as another adult male baboon feeds on the carcass.
• 1208. An adult male baboon runs off with the carcass. Figan watches initially, then follows them to the base of KK1.
• 1213. Melissa arrives.
• 1219. Baboons are fighting nearby. Figan feeds. Melissa watches.
• 1223. Melissa pant-grunt approaches Figan – two bones are left.
• 1226. Melissa begs frequently from Figan. Once she is successful for a small piece.
• 1238. Figan gives Melissa a large, completely-eaten bone. Melissa moves off. Figan still has large bone (femur?).
• 1250. Figan leaves Melissa and the baboons, travels to the other side of the Kakombe stream and feeds on ngazi.

[ break in the action ]

• 1325. Many distant chimp and baboon vocalizations from KK1. At this time Melissa has apparently taken the carcass away from the baboons (see FRMI – Melissa report by D. Anderson). Figan continues to feed on ngazi.
• 1328. Figan descends the ngazi tree and rapidly travels towards the vocalizations in KK1.
• 1334. Figan has hair out as he nears the scene where Melissa has just stolen the carcass from the baboons. At this point the carcass is merely composed of the skin plus a few attached bones and a little meat. Melissa is 15 m up in a tree — Pallas is nearby. Many baboons are scavenging around. Figan approaches Melissa who arm-extends, then presents to Figan.
• 1336. Figan pant-hoots. Pallas approaches and kisses Figan. Nova pant-grunts as she arrives and goes in tree with the group.
• 1338. Nova presents full-closed-grin to Figan who inspects her. Figan approaches Melissa — possible beg — bad observation as they are very high up.
• 1340. Gremlin is feeding on the carcass. Figan is within arm’s reach. Gigi arrives and goes in the tree. Pallas descends rapidly and is submissive to Gigi (bad observation). Stumptail gets into a fight with Gigi and Pallas on the ground, perhaps over a small piece of meat that had dropped. Melissa squeaks and avoids Figan who has hair-out and is branch-waving at her in the tree.
• Humphrey arrives, pant-hoots, and chases Melissa high in the trees. There are many group waah’s. Melissa, still with the carcass, presents to Humphrey who has a full-closed-grin as he inspects her.
• 1342. Humphrey and Figan briefly chase after Melissa who screams and avoids then continues feeding. Fifi arrives. Melissa squeaks full-closed-grin, bite-kisses Humphrey’s arm then kisses his nose.

The Brutality Begins

• 1343. Humphrey, Figan and Melissa have now all descended to the ground. Humphrey brutally attacks Melissa, stamping on her, slapping her, and throwing her around. Somehow Melissa holds on to the carcass. Figan waits his turn and then performs an equally brutal attack on Melissa in which he grabs onto one end on the carcass and charges hair-out downhill. Melissa holds on to the other end of the carcass and is mercilessly dragged several meters on her stomach downhill.
• Melissa retains possession of the carcass as Figan lets go and does a long branching display downhill. Humphrey now attacks Melissa again and somehow in the skirmish Gigi gains possession of the carcass. Melissa looks “defeated” and has a small cut near her left eye.
• 1345. Gigi now in the tree with the carcass screams and avoids as Humphrey chases after her. Figan is returning uphill from his long display. Melissa and Pallas are on the ground nearby. Fifi and Nova are off a ways. Gigi screams and avoids as Humphrey continues to chase her. There are many group waah’s. Figan sits hair-out on the ground and pant-hoots. More group pant-bobs and waah’s. Gigi screams as she descends to the ground.
• Humphrey squeaks full-open-grin and approaches Figan who has a full-open-grin extends arm and touches Humphrey’s nose. Figan and Humphrey both scream with fear grins for several seconds. Humphrey has glottal cramps. Figan touches Humphrey then briefly grooms Humphrey (photos, below).

• They continue screaming in excitement — Humphrey has glottal cramps. There are many nearby pant-hoots. Figan then Humphrey pant-hoot in response.
• 1348. There are distant screams and waah’s. Humphrey goes in the tree with Gigi who still has the carcass.
• 1350. Many distant vocalizations. Figan holds himself then does a pant-hoot drum-display. Many group vocalizations. Humphrey chases after Gigi who screams and avoids with the carcass in her mouth. Gigi has a full-open-grin as she descends to the ground. Figan moves off a ways and pant-hoots (incipient).
• 1352. Gigi screams, approaches, and presents to Figan who inspects with full-closed-grin. Humphrey and Figan both have full-closed-grins then scream with full-open-grins as Humphrey approaches and presents to Figan who inspects him.
• 1353. Gigi goes back in the tree with the carcass; Humphrey follows. Pant-hoots by several new arrivees. Faben, Mike, Goblin, Athena, and Atlas arrive! Figan hair-out bipedal watches. Humphrey screams and follows after Figan. Humphrey holds Figan’s balls. Figan and Humphrey both scream with fear grins. Figan does a long branching display at the new arrivees who pant-bob and avoid Figan.
• 1355. Figan attacks Goblin then displays away as Goblin screams loudly. Goblin screams and runs after Figan. Mike screams and avoids as Figan displays at him and hits him (contact I). Mike approaches Figan; Mike and Figan both hold Figan’s balls. Faben is up in the tree with hair-out advancing towards Gigi. Atlas screams as Goblin arm-threats him. Faben pulls the all-time classic maneuver! As Faben (hair-out) approaches Gigi he mounts and thrusts on her (B=1). Gigi, with carcass, screams. Mike and Humphrey approach Gigi also and there are several inspections.
• 1357. Figan displays in the trees at Mike and Humphrey. Both scream and avoid. Figan displays to the ground. Gigi screams as Mike tries to take the carcass from her. Gigi stuffs most of the carcass in her mouth. Gigi screams as Humphrey approaches. Faben displays at and kicks Mike (contact I). Mike then hits Gigi (redirect) and they both scream. Figan displays also, but a branch breaks and he falls 8 m to the ground. Gigi leaves Mike and Faben — changes trees.
• 1401. Mike approaches Figan who grooms Mike. Faben pant-hoots. Gigi changes tree again. Faben follows and inspects her. Humphrey bite-kisses Faben’s arm (Faben hair-out). Figan pant-hoots, goes in tree, attacks Mike (Contact II). Figan and Mike half-fall to the ground (10 m) with Figan on top of Mike and stamping him all the way to the ground. Figan then branch-waves on the ground.
• The males all approach Gigi who squeaks. Atlas whimpers and approaches the group. Gigi full-closed-grin ½ embraces Figan then avoids higher in the tree with the carcass. Figan displays at and chases Gigi who screams and avoids. Figan displays towards Faben then displays off. The males are all on the ground now. Faben pant-hoots as Figan displays downhill – screams are heard.
• 1407. Males go in tree after Gigi who descends to the ground. Figan and Humphrey pant-hoot.
• 1409. Humphrey approaches Figan and they full-open-grin bite-kiss mouth-to-mouth for several seconds. Faben hair-out follows Gigi. Humphrey mounts Faben, both have hair-out.
• 1410. Humphrey and Figan groom on the ground. Faben and Mike approach Gigi — perhaps are begging. Athena approaches and squeak-bark presents to Figan, who puts his arm around. Faben attacks Gigi who screams and then avoids. Faben chases after her. Figan displays simultaneously and chases baboons who all avoid. Mike and Faben touch rumps. Gigi still has the carcass — all the males are near her.
• 1414. Humphrey displays perhaps at Moeza — Gigi avoids. Faben now chases Gigi up a tree. Humphrey and Faben pant-hoot.
• 1415. Faben pant-hoots again and branch-waves. Faben then presents to Mike who mounts him with full-open-grin. Mike and Faben start begging from Gigi. Humphrey and Figan are sitting on the ground. Faben mounts Gigi.

• 1419. Mike arm-extends to Gigi. Humphrey and Faben flash full-open-grins at each other, then Humphrey holds Faben’s balls.
• 1420. Gigi descends to the ground. Faben and Humphrey pant-hoot. Humphrey pant-grunts, approaches, and grooms Figan. Figan displays away from the group. Miff pant-bobs and avoids. Many pant-hoots. Faben begs hand-to-mouth from Gigi and is successful for a very small piece of bone. Figan pant-hoots hair-out.
• 1422. Mike rushes down to pick up a small piece of meat that dropped to the ground. Mike arm-threats a baboon then goes back in the tree with Gigi. Miff approaches and presents to Figan who inspects then grooms her. Faben hair-out begs from Gigi.
• 1426. Humphrey chews on a small meatless bone that fell to the ground. Faben continues to beg from Gigi.
• 1428. Athena approaches and presents to Figan who grooms her. Mike and Faben are both successful for small pieces of meat.
• 1429. Athena close-faces Humphrey who has a small bone. Gigi barks as Faben and Mike continue to beg.
• 1432. Figan, who had been “laying low” in the periphery, now made his big move. Figan pant-hooted and displayed into the tree. Figan chased Gigi to the ground and then attacked Gigi. During the attack Figan grabbed one end on the carcass and charged downhill. Gigi held onto the carcass, but was dragged 15 m along the ground. Figan let go of his end of the carcass and charged downhill a ways. Gigi moves back uphill and is followed closely by Mike and Faben.
• 1433. Figan displays at the group and they all avoid except for Faben who sits on the ground with hair-out. Figan, Faben, and Mike start grooming.
• 1436. Gigi descends to the ground, squeaks, full-closed-grin, and presents to Faben who moves away from her. Faben hair-out and Mike squeak, full-closed-grin as they beg on the ground from Gigi. Fifi moves into the group.
• 1443. Humphrey leaf-grooms.
• 1445. Gigi drops a small bone to the ground. Atlas picks it up and is arm-threatened by Gigi. Humphrey and Faben both charge hair-out, crossing paths. Faben’s display is directed at Gigi. Faben and Mike both hair-out go in the tree with Gigi. There are several pant-hoots by Faben.
• 1458. Sherry arrives and hair-out advances to 3 m from the group (no ASR). Goblin now moves into the group. The males have now all given up trying to get the carcass from Gigi. Only Mike continues to sit near and watch Gigi.

At 1615 Gigi still has the carcass and the group splits up as it moves down to the Kakombe stream (near Camp).

Summary and Review

Today chimps were seen to take meat from baboons for the 3rd and 4th times. On May 21, 1974 Athena was seen to take a live baby bushbuck from baboons. On August 3, 1974 Mike stole the carcass of a guinea fowl from baboons. Today Figan stole a leg of a freshly killed baby bushbuck from Stumptail (baboon). Two hours later Melissa stole the remaining carcass from the Bald Soko baboons. All of these observations were made within 200 m of Camp.

There have been many other occasions in which we suspect that chimps took meat from baboons. It could be that many more such observations aren’t seen because baboons in the other lower valleys are not habituated to human observers.

Once Melissa obtained the bushbuck skin from the baboons there was essentially no food-sharing between the chimps. The carcass only changed hands once, and even that was only after a series of attacks by Humphrey and Figan in which Melissa was fortunate to escape with her life.

The aggression became even more intense as Gigi got the carcass and Mike and Faben arrived. Humphrey chased Gigi three times in the beginning, but he seemed to lose some of his interest when Mike and Faben arrived. Faben chased Gigi once and attacked her once. He continuously followed her around and begged from her for several minutes.

Figan chased Gigi twice and attacked her once. Figan seemed to use the same strategy which he used against Athena during the bushbuck predation of May 21, 1974. Most of the time Figan stayed away from Gigi and appeared to be uninterested. He would then make an explosive charge at her in an attempt to get the carcass.

Figan also attacked Mike and Goblin. Mike chased Gigi once and he always maintained proximity to Gigi. Gigi deserves hearty congratulations for being able to keep the carcass from these four males. Even Mike, who is well-known for being the best carcass stealer, was unable to get any meat.

Poor Gilka had been present from the very beginning when Figan first found Stumptail with the bushbuck. She remained peripheral during the entire meat-eating episode. Gilka was seen in the distance several times during the Gigi episode. Fifi, Pallas, Nova, Athena, and Goblin also stayed peripheral.

I was quite surprised to see Sherry arrive with hair-out and showing no submission to Figan, Faben, or Humphrey.

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Kathryn “Kit” Morris and Jane Goodall published an article on chimpanzees taking meat from baboons at Gombe and concluded that these appropriations may represent an appreciable number of the baboons’ total successful hunts per year.¹

1. Morris, K., & Goodall, J. (1977). Competition for meat between chimpanzees and baboons of the Gombe National Park. Folia Primatologica, 28(2), 109–121.
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