The Relationship Between Humans and Capuchins ( Sapajus sp.) in an Urban Green Area in Brazil

Urban green areas provide people with an escape from the stress of cities and opportunities to interact with wildlife. These interactions vary with the local context and understanding them is key to designing successful conservation programs. We investigated the relationship between humans and capuchins in an urban green area in southern Brazil using an ethnoprimatological approach. We examined 1) the perceptions local residents have of the area and capuchins, 2) interactions between humans and capuchins, and 3) the food sources used by capuchins. We assessed the perceptions of the area and the capuchins using interviews, and followed the capuchins for 18 mo to assess human–capuchin interactions and the capuchins’ diet. Most people used the green area (62%) and regarded it as important (85%), expressed concern for the capuchins (73%), and said that they feed them (53%) owing to a perceived lack of wild food (85%). Human–capuchin interactions were frequent (0.4 interactions/h), occurred primarily in the forest (61%), were initiated by people (98%), and involved mainly males of both species (77%). Capuchins fed primarily on human food (71%), mainly through direct provisioning. These results suggest that the relationship between humans and capuchins may be mutually beneficial, with people benefitting from interactions with wildlife and capuchins obtaining an important food supply, although the effects of human food consumption on capuchins health should be investigated. The positive perceptions people have of the area and the capuchins may facilitate the conversion of the area into a city park.