East Nimba Nature Reserve
West Africa > Liberia > East Nimba Nature Reserve
Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in East Nimba Nature Reserve.
- It has been estimated that 28 individuals occur at the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is stable.
- This site has a total size of 135 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are habitat loss due to iron ore mining and shifting agriculture, and poaching.
- Flora and Fauna International, and Conservation International support Liberia’s Forest Development Authority in the protection of the site and implementation of conservation activities, focused mainly on education and awareness.
- The site borders Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve in Guinea.
Site characteristics
East Nimba Nature Reserve is located in the north of Liberia, bordering Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. East Nimba Nature Reserve was established in 2003 and covers part of the Mount Nimba Mountain range, which spans across Liberia, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire. The reserve borders Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019). In addition to the Western chimpanzee, other endangered and endemic (species) inhabit the site, including Jentink’s duiker (Cephalophus jentinki), Nimba otter shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei), Nimba flycatcher (Melaenornis annamarulae) and Nimba toad (Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis).
Table 1. Basic site information for East Nimba Nature Reserve
| Area | 135 km² |
| Coordinates | 7.51, -8.53 |
| Designation | Strict Nature Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane Forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
The population in East Nimba Strict Nature Reserve has been estimated at 28 individuals (WCF unpubl. data). In addition, chimpanzee presence in the reserve has been recorded by the nationwide survey teams (Tweh et al. 2014). However, based on two unpublished datasets from 2010 (WCF unpubl. data) and 2014 (PANAF unpubl. data) Kühl et al. (2017) estimated a stable population size for this site.
Table 2. Great ape population estimates in East Nimba Nature Reserve
| 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 | 2010 | 28 | East Nimba Nature Reserve | Index survey | WCF unpubl. data, in Kühl et al. 2017 | ‘reconnaissance walk’, survey effort: 178 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2010-2011 | 0.17 | East Nimba Nature Reserve (area around Geipa, Camp 4, Cold Water) | Index survey | CI 2012 | ‘reconnaissance walk’, survey effort: 41.32 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2011-2012 | Present | East Nimba Nature Reserve | Line transects (Distance) | Tweh et al. 2014 |
Threats
Part of the nature reserve was severely degraded due to iron ore mining that occurred between 1962 and 1989 (CILSS 2016). The site has also been severely affected by deforestation; between 1974 and 2014, about half of its forest cover was lost (CILSS 2016). Bushmeat hunting in the area is also a key threat to chimpanzees (Bene et al. 2013).
Table 3. Threats to great apes in East Nimba Nature Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Absent | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | High | Slash-and-burn agriculture around the park (CILSS 2016) and potential of encroachment (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | High | Iron ore mining (CILSS 2016) | 1969-1989 | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Low | Mining activities lead to the construction of roads, further impacting the area (CILSS 2016). Two old roads are present, but with low traffic (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | High hunting and poaching rates have been reported in the Nimba mountain range in Liberia (Bene et al. 2013) | Ongoing (2013) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | The site lost half of its forest cover due to logging between 1974 and 2014 (CILSS 2016) | 1974-2014 | ||
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | High | Collection of NTFPs; especially fruit trees (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | ||
| 6. Human intrusions & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | High | Influx of people fleeing areas of civil conflict during two civil wars, also resulting in a lack of law enforcement and increase in illegal logging and hunting (CILSS 2016) | 1989-1996, 1999-2003 | |
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Low | Fires sometimes started by farmers and hunters near the site (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Absent | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority (FDA) is responsible for the protection and long-term management of East Nimba Nature Reserve. The site lies within the concession of an iron ore mining company, Arcelor Mittal Liberia (AML). In 2015, AML funded a (joint project) with Flora and Fauna International to ensure the effective management of the site and provide technical support and capacity building (FFI). Conservation International (CI) have also contributed to the protection of the site by providing environmental education and conservation awareness in nearby communities (FFI). As part of a livelihood improvement project, CI recruited Frontline Conservationists from local communities, who patrol and monitor the forests in exchange for a monthly stipend (CI 2016).
Table 4. Conservation activities in East Nimba Nature Reserve
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols | FDA rangers and community eco guards conduct patrols (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) |
| 6. Human intrusions & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | 10.1. Educate local communities about primates and sustainable use | FFI, UNOPS and PAPFor provide environmental education and raise conservation awareness around the reserve (CI 2016, FFI 2019). In the past, CI also conducted this activity (Zansi, G. K., pers. Comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) |
| 10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management | CI recruited Frontline Conservationists from local communities receive a stipend for patrolling, gathering data, and help raise awareness (CI 2016) | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 11. Habitat Protection | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The site was designated as nature reserve in 2003 (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019) | Ongoing (2019) |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for East Nimba Nature Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
No information on research activities has been documented.
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Great ape behaviors reported for East Nimba Nature Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
References
Bene, J.K., Gamys, J. & Dufour, S. 2013. A wealth of wildlife endangered in northern Nimba county, Liberia. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, 2, 314–323.
CI. 2016. East Nimba Nature Reserve Forest Conservation Project. Online: https://www.daikin.com/csr/forests/project/pdf/report_liberia_e_201605.pdf
CILSS. 2016. Landscapes of West Africa- a window on a changing world. U. S. Geological Survey EROS, 47914 252nd St, Garretson, SD 57030, United States.
FFI. 2019. Implementing effective management of East Nimba Nature Reserve. Online: https://www.fauna-flora.org/projects/implementing-effective-management-east-nimba-nature-reserve
Kühl, H.S., Sop, T., Williamson, E.A., Mundry, R., Brugière, D., Campbell, G., Cohen, H., et al. 2017. The Critically Endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80%. American Journal of Primatology, 22681. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22681.
Tweh, C., Lormie, M., Kouakou, C.Y., Hillers, A., Kühl, H.S., Junker, J., et al. 2014. Conservation status of chimpanzees Pan troglodytes verus and other large mammals in Liberia: a nationwide survey. Oryx, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0030605313001191
UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. 2019. Protected Planet: [East Nimba Nature Reserve in Liberia; The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)/The Global Database on Protected Areas Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME)] [On-line], [08/2019], Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 27/10/2023