Fruit-sharing 69by assisting with the survival of these trees. We obtained the information on which
species were used by interviewing 224 local residents of nine villages at the southern
edge of the forest over a period of three months (Johnson 1993). The tree species
involved, and their uses, are shown in Table 4.5.
Fruit-sharing
Normally, feeding is a group activity for chimpanzees (though occasionally they eat
alone). Each animal feeds itself, except when a mother shares food with her infant
(see Assersohn and Whiten 1998 for Budongo; Silk 1978 for Gombe; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa
1990 and Nishida and Turner 1996 for Mahale) or her sick mother (Goodall 1986). It is
very unusual for healthy adults to share vegetable food with one another. This however
has been seen at Budongo and also at a few other sites, e.g. Gombe when Strychnos
fruits were shared (reported in Goodall 1986) and at Taï Forest in Ivory Coast where
Treculia africanafruits were shared.
In July 1997 a student at Budongo, Emily Bethell, together with two BFP field assist-
ants, observed the adult male Muga carrying with him a large fruit of Treculia africana,
approximately 20 cm in diameter. These are among the largest fruits in Budongo Forest
and can measure up to 45 cm in diameter and weigh up to 35 lb (Eggeling 1940b).
Chimpanzees eat the seeds and spongy pulp of the fruit.
Table 4.5: Seeds of trees used by local people that are dispersed in chimpanzee
faeces in the Budongo Forest (from Bakuneeta et al.1995).
Species Use as timber Local uses
Chrysophyllum albidum Furniture, boats Fruits chewed to reduce body pains
Cleistopholis patens Seeds kept to expel bad spirits
Cordia millennii Joinery, boats Roots boiled, mixed with beer, result
drunk to cure urinary infections and
worms
Cynometra alexandri Flooring
Ficusspp. Bark used for coverings, mats; roots
pounded for soap; juice of fruits
used to cure boils
Maesopsis eminii Joinery Inner bark powdered and inhaled for
influenza; bark used as purgative
Mildbraediodendron Heavy construction
excelsum
Morus lactea Heavy construction
Pseudospondias Branch wards off evil spirits
microcarpa
Psidium guayava* Fruit eaten; leaves pounded for
diarrhoea; leaves used with other
species for cough; roots pounded
for indigestion
Ricinodendron heudelotti Balsa substitute* Introduced species.