Flora of Gorongosa National Park: a review of a modern African environment and its implications for baboon diet

Journal article

What do we know about how the most abundant species of primates in Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) exploit a highly seasonal and heterogeneous environment? This review examines current knowledge and key gaps in our understanding of Gorongosa's vegetation in relation to the diet and feeding ecology of grey-footed chacma baboons (Papio ursinus griseipes). By synthesising existing literature of Gorongosa's historical context, seasonality, landscape structure, and plant communities, this review provides environmental context for understanding baboon feeding ecology. Baboons appear to be among the most numerous mammals in Gorongosa National Park, inhabiting diverse landscapes and utilising the environment dynamically. Gorongosa National Park provides a useful contemporary system for investigating wild living primates, as it is a highly seasonal area with mosaic environments and a complex history, and it offers a valuable ecological analogue for early hominin environments. In this review, previous work on Gorongosa's chacma baboon ecology and diet is synthesized, highlighting their pronounced dietary flexibility, foraging strategies, and extensive resource use. We also briefly consider their possible ecological role in seed dispersal, vegetation dynamics, and interactions with invasive plants, as these aspects are poorly documented in the park. Overall, this work organises existing data on baboon feeding ecology in Gorongosa, identifies key gaps, and outlines priorities for future integrative research, contributing to broader discussions of primate ecology, conservation, and human evolutionary models.

Authors: Rabajoli, E; Carvalho, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Primates
• Publication date: 2026-07-09
• DOI: 10.1007/s10329-026-01278-9
• EISSN: 1610-7365
• ISSN: 0032-8332
• Language: English
• Keywords: Animal ecology; Context (archaeology); Foraging; Baboon; National park; Vegetation (pathology)