Comoé National Park
West Africa > Côte d'Ivoire > Comoé National Park
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Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Comoé National Park.
- It has been estimated that a minimum of 135 weaned individuals occur in the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
- This site has a total size of 1,1487.56 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees is illegal hunting.
- Conservation activities implemented include law enforcement, biomonitoring and permanent presence of researchers.
- Comoé National Park is one of the largest protected areas in West Africa.
Site characteristics
Comoé National Park was established in 1968 and became Natural World Heritage Site in 1983 (UNESCO 2005). It is located in north-eastern Côte d’Ivoire, between the towns of Bouna and Kong, and close to the border with Burkina Faso and Ghana. The park is managed by the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR).
Table 1. Basic site information for Comoé National Park
| Species | Pan troglodytes verus |
| Area | 1,1487.56 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: 9.10 , Lon: -3.72 |
| Type of site | Protected area (National Park) |
| Habitat types | Savanna, Subtropical/tropical dry forest, Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes) |
| Type of governance |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Marchesi et al. (1995) estimated chimpanzees in this park to number 470 individuals, which would represent the largest population of chimpanzees in the Soudanian Belt in Côte d’Ivoire. However, this was based on a survey effort of only 30 km. Fischer et al. (2002) confirmed the presence of chimpanzees in the area. In the following years, surveys found few or no signs of chimpanzees. A detailed survey of the area was implemented by the Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (CCCP) in 2014-2015 and confirmed the permanent presence of several chimpanzee communities, notably also east of the river Comoé (Lapuente et al. 2017). From 2015 to 2017, CCCP collaborated with the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee (PanAf) to study many aspects of the ecology of the chimpanzees.
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Comoé National Park
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes verus | 1990 | 3.35 | 4.73 | Three locations in the park | Line transects | Marchesi et al. 1995 | Total survey effort: 30 km | ||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 1993-2000 | Present | Entire area | Interviews | Fischer et al. 2002 | ||||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2008 | 0 | West of Comoé river | Line transects | WCF 2008 | Total survey effort: 32 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2009 | 0.38 | West of Comoé river | Line transects | WCF 2009 | Total survey effort: 143.5 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2010 | 2 chimpanzees/survey | Entire area | Aerial (drones/plane/helicopter) | WCF 2010 | Total survey effort: 2,955.7 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2012 | 1 nest/survey | Entire area | Line transects | WCF 2012 | Total survey effort: 296 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2014 | 0 | Entire area | Aerial (drones/plane/helicopter) | WCF 2014 | Total survey effort: 2,955.7 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2014-2015 | 127 (92–176) | 0.14 | Entire area | Line transects & recces | Lapuente et al. (2020) | Minimum estimate, methods used included line transect sampling, reconnaissance walks and camera traps |
Threats
Human population has grown significantly around the park in the past decades and communities that live close to the park rely on the park for agriculture, fishing, cattle grazing and hunting of wildlife (BirdLife International 2019). During political instability from 2001 to 2010 it was too dangerous for local authorities to enter the park and law enforcement was virtually absent (UNESCO 2019). As a result poaching was widespread, likely taking a heavy toll on animal populations and in 2003 Comoé was listed as a “World Heritage in Danger” (UNESCO 2005, UNESCO 2019). It was taken off the list in 2017 since the situation has improved markedly and law enforcement had been reestablished (IUCN 2017). In a 2014 survey, agricultural activities were recorded in the western part of the park (WCF 2014), but in 2017 the limits of the park were changed, so that the few remaining fields were then outside the park (Lapuente et al. in review).
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Comoé National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Residential & commercial development | Not reported | |||
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.3 Livestock farming & ranching | Medium (30-70% of population affected) | Cows recorded during aerial surveys, though numbers seem to have decreased from 2010 to 2014 (WCF 2014). Still frequent in the North and the East of the CNP (Lapuente et al. in review). The small livestock is therefore found almost exclusively in the biodiversity area, whereas the northern part of the park itself is already heavily impacted by the presence of cattle herds (Linchant et al. 2022) | 2019-Ongoing (2022) |
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The presence of agricultural activities indicates encroachment on the protected area. However, this encroachment remains minimal and is primarily localized along the southwestern border, near the Mont Tingui Biodiversity Zone (Linchant et al. 2022). | Ongoing (2022) |
| 3 Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | High (more than 70% of population affected) | Artisanal gold mining (IUCN 2017, Lapuente et al. in review). Illegal gold mining is the most immediate and serious threat to the CNP. No mountain in the park has been spared by miners. The extraction sites are particularly vast and tend to remain very shallow (Linchant et al. 2022). | 2019-Ongoing (2022) |
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | |||
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High (more than 70% of population affected) | Poaching widespread (Lapuente et al. 2017, UNESCO 2019, Linchant et al. 2022). A significant number of trails are regularly used by bicycles and motorcycles throughout the entire park (Linchant et al. 2022). | 2019-Ongoing (2022) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Illegal fishing in Comoé river (Lapuente et al. 2017, BirdLife International 2019). | 2019-Ongoing (2022) |
| 6 Human intrusions & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | Low | During times of political instability militias were present in the park (UNESCO 2019) | 2001-2010 |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present | fires caused by poachers (UNESCO 2019) | Ongoing (2019) |
| 8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Unknown | |||
| 9 Pollution | Not reported | |||
| 10 Geological events | Absent | |||
| 11 Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | |||
| 12 Other threat | Absent |
Conservation activities
Comoé NP is one of the largest protected areas in West Africa and is managed by the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR). In 1989/1990 Prof. Linsenmair from the University Würzburg in Germany, founded the Comoé National Park Research Station. The construction of a permanent research station started in 2000. During the political crisis the park could not be accessed regularly by government authorities or researchers. Since the political situation stabilized in 2010, OIPR resumed its activities. This resulted in a decline in illegal activities and an increase in wildlife populations (WCF 2014). Comoé National Park Research Station has also resumed its activities since. In 2014, Juan Lapuente, in collaboration with Prof. Linsenmair and OIPR, started the Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (CCCP). This ongoing project involves local and foreign students, and assistants, that study chimpanzees of CNP and work for their conservation. Their work focuses on a 900 km2 area in the south-west of the park. Currently, OIPR is conducting a study on the fire regime (OIPR 2019).
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Comoé National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Counter-wildlife crime | 2.11 Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g., SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of patrols | Biomonitoring surveys by WCF and OIPR, permanent research and conservation activities by the Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (WCF 2010, 2012, 2014, Lapuente et al. 2017, 2019). Aerial inventories carried out (Linchant et al. 2022) | Office ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR) | 2019-Ongoing (2022) |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | Awareness raising activities implemented by OIPR and CCCP (OIPR 2019) | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | Designated as National Park since 1968 (UNESCO 2005) | Since 1968 | |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.3 Permanent presence of staff/manager | Comoé National Park Research Station and Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (since 2014) | Since 1989 |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Comoé National Park
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.2 Lack of staff | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.5 Lack of equipment/transportation | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.7 Lack of infrastructure | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
| 4 Institutional support | 4.4 Lack of transboundary cooperation | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
| 5 Ecological context | 5.1 Ecological constraints (e.g., susceptibility to climate change, difficult terrain) | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
| 6 Safety and stability | 6.2 Insecurity | Linchant et al. 2022 | Ongoing (2022) |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for Comoé National Park
| Enablers | Specific enablers | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Site management | 1.2 Effective coordination | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.3 Continuous/long-term funding | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.4 Adequate data to inform and evaluate conservation actions | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.6 External partnerships that add expertise or resources | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 3 Engaged community | |||
| 4 Institutional support | |||
| 5 Ecological context | |||
| 6 Safety and stability |
Research activities
The Comoé National Park Research Station conducts a diversity of research projects on ecophysiology, behavioral, chemical and evolutionary ecology. In 2014 a research project, the Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (CCCP), was established at the site focusing on chimpanzee behavior, tool use and ecology (Lapuente et al. 2017, 2019).
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for Comoé National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Accumulative stone throwing | Kühl et al. 2016 |
| Ant dipping | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Ant eating | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Cave use | Galat et al. 2008, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Honey eating | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Honey extraction with tools | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Leaf sponging for drinking water | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Termite eating | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Termite fishing | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
| Water dipping | Lapuente et al. 2017, Kühl et al. 2019 |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International. 2019. Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cavally and Goin - Debe Forest Reserves. Online: www.birdlife.org
Fischer F et al. 2002 Updated list of the larger mammals of the Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. Mammalia 66(1): 83-92
Galat et al. 2008. Our Cousins Chimpanzees and Baboons Face Global Warming by Digging Wells to Filtrate Drinking Water. Proceedings 13th International Water Resource Association Congress, Nanterre, France
IUCN. 2017. African national park taken off World Heritage ‘danger list’ following IUCN advice. IUCN News. Online: www.iucn.org/news
Kühl, H. S., Kalan, A. K., Arandjelovic, M., Aubert, F., D’Auvergne, L., Goedmakers, A., … Boesch, C. 2016. Chimpanzee accumulative stone throwing. Scientific Reports 6:1–8.
Kühl HS et al. 2019. Human impact erodes chimpanzee behavioral diversity. Science. 363, 1453–1455.
Lapuente J. et al. 2017. Fluid dipping technology of chimpanzees in Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. American Journal of Primatology. 79: e22628
Lapuente J. 2018. Recherche et travaux effectués par le Comoé chimpanzee Conservation Project. Juillet 2017 - Juillet 2018. Report for OIPR, 39 pp.
Lapuente, J., Ouattara, A., Köster, P. C., & Linsenmair, K. E. (2020). Status and distribution of Comoé Chimpanzees: combined use of transects and camera traps to quantify a low-density population in savanna-forest mosaic. Primates, 61(5), 647-659.
OIPR. 2019. Parc national de la Comoé. Online : www.oipr.ci
UNEP-WCMC, IUCN. 2018. Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN Online: www.protectedplanet.net
UNESCO. 2005. UNESCO – MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory: Biosphere Reserve Information Côte d’Ivoire Comoé. Online: www.unesco.org
UNESCO. 2019. State of Conservation – Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire). Online: whc.unesco.org
WCF. 2008. Evaluation rapide de l’état du parc national de la Comoé : les grands mammifères et les activités illégales humaines. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2009. Rapport sur le recensement des chimpanzés dans le Parc National de la Comoé, Côte d’Ivoire. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2010. Etat des ressources naturelles du parc national de la Comoé et de sa zone périphérique, rapport de l’inventaire faunique par survol aérien (Mars 2010). Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2012. Suivi écologique au parc national de la Comoé, rapport de l’inventaire pédestre de la faune (Mars-Août 2012. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2014. Etat de conservation du parc national de la Comoé et de sa zone périphérique, rapport de l’inventaire faunique par survol du 17 au 24 Avril 2014. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Linchant, J., Sabdano, N., Eisendrath, L., & Vincke X. (2022). Rapport d'inventaire aérien du Parc National de la Comoé 2022, version révisée du 14.11.22. KfW/OIPR, 100p.
Page created by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 2019-10-29
Page updated by: Diorne Zausa Date: 2024-11-28