Farmers' Perceptions of White-Faced Capuchins (Cebus imitator) and Human-Primate Coexistence in Rural Communities of Renacimiento District, Chiriqui Province, Panama

As human modification of primate habitats expands, overlapping use of resources and conflict between people and primates are becoming more common, particularly at the forest-farm edge where primates feed on crops. Although there is anecdotal evidence that the white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus imitator) feeds on crops in Panama, to our knowledge farmers' perceptions of this behavior have not been systematically investigated. We assessed farmers' perceptions of and attitudes toward crop-feeding by white-faced capuchins by conducting freelisting exercises with 37 farmers and in-depth interviews with 29 farmers in rural communities of Renacimiento District, Chiriqui Province, Panama. We also set up 26 camera traps in five maize fields to capture crop-feeding behavior. Our findings indicate farmers perceived the white-faced capuchin to be one of the main crop feeders causing crop damage. Although two-thirds of the farmers we interviewed said that crop-feeding by white-faced capuchins has decreased over the years, 70% of farmers are still greatly affected by capuchin crop damage. Camera trap data revealed the white-nosed coati to be the most frequent crop feeder; capuchins were identified only in two crop-feeding events. Farmers identified several techniques that they use to deter white-faced capuchins, most of which are currently nonlethal. Farmers expressed sympathy for the capuchins, noting the impact of deforestation on wild food abundance and recognizing that "capuchins need to eat too." These findings indicate that rural communities in Chiriqui province, Panama may be receptive to conservation messaging that emphasizes human-capuchin coexistence.