Gishwati-Mukura National Park
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Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
- It has been estimated that 28 individuals occur at the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is increasing.
- The site has a total size of 35.58 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are deforestation, illegal cattle grazing, hunting & mining.
- Conservation activities have focused on conducting anti-poaching patrols, establishing “eco-clubs” for conservation education, and running a long-term research project.
Site characteristics
Located in northwest Rwanda, Gishwati-Mukura National Park is located roughly between Volcanoes National Park to the north and Nyungwe Forest National Park to the south. The park is made up of two parts: the larger Gishwati forest, and small Mukura forest. The forests are situated on the ridge that divides the Congo and Nile water catchment areas, along the Albertine Rift in the west of the country (Visit Rwanda). In addition to eastern chimpanzees, other primates inhabiting the site include golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s and blue monkeys. A recent survey of birds detected 155 species, including 20 which are endemic to the Albertine Rift (Inman & Ntoyinkama 2020).The Gishwati Forest was declared a Forest Reserve in 1951; in 2015 Gishwati Forest was gazetted as part of the Gishwati-Mukura National Park (Inman & Ntoyinkama 2020). The site is part of the Gishwati-Mukura Landscape Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, since 2020.
Table 1. Basic site information for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Species | 'Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| Area | 35.58 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: -1.751373 , Lon: 29.441319 |
| Type of site | Protected area (National Park) |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
| Type of governance |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
The chimpanzee population in the Gishwati forest has increased in size, from 13 individuals in 2007, to 19 individuals in 2010, and more recently, in 2019, chimpanzee trackers were able to identify 28 individuals (Chancellor et al. 2020).
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Species | Year | Occurrence | Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Survey area | Sampling method | Analytical framework | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 2009-2010 | 19 | Gishwati Forest Reserve | Genetic (dung/hair) | Chancellor et al. 2012 | ||||||
| Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 2019 | 28 | Gishwati Forest | Full count | Chancellor et al. 2020 |
Threats
Deforestation has been a major problem in the area; by 2001, only 1,500 acres of the forest’s original 250,000 remained (NASA Earth Observatory). Other important threats include illegal cattle grazing, hunting, illegal mining and logging, and agricultural expansion (Chancellor et al. 2020).
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Geological events | Absent | |||
| 12 Other threat | Absent | |||
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High (more than 70% of population affected) | Deforestation is a key threat at the site; by 2001, only 1,500 acres of the forest’s original 250,000 remained (NASA Earth Observatory; Chancellor 2020). | Ongoing (2020) |
| 1 Residential & commercial development | Unknown | |||
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | |||
| 3 Energy production & mining | Unknown | |||
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | |||
| 6 Human intrusions & disturbance | Unknown | |||
| 7 Natural system modifications | Unknown | |||
| 8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Unknown | |||
| 9 Pollution | Unknown | |||
| 11 Climate change & severe weather | Unknown |
Conservation activities
In 2010, the Gishwati Area Conservation Program, sponsored by Great Ape Trust, was given the responsibility for managing and implementing conservation interventions in Gishwati Forest for 3 years. As part of the program, a key objective was to restore a forest corridor between Gishwati and Nyungwe Forest National Park to connect the chimpanzee populations and preserve genetic diversity.
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Counter-wildlife crime | 2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols | Eco Guards monitor illegal and unsustainable human activities including cattle grazing, logging, charcoal production, and mining in Gishwati forest (Chancellor et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | Establishment of eco-clubs in nearby primary and secondary schools, where children learn about conservation and the local flora and fauna (Chancellor et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | The site was declared a National Park in 2015 (Inman & Ntoyinkama 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.1 Run research project and ensure permanent human presence at site | Since 2008, long-term chimpanzee research began in Gishwati (Chancellor et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not reported |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Enablers | Specific enablers | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Site management | |||
| 2 Resources and capacity | |||
| 3 Engaged community | |||
| 4 Institutional support | |||
| 5 Ecological context | |||
| 6 Safety and stability |
Research activities
https://www.cepf.net/sites/default/files/guidebook-gishwati-mukura-national-park.pdf
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for Gishwati-Mukura National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
Visit Rwanda - Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Gishwati-Mukura Landscape Biosphere Reserve UNESCO
Relevant datasets
References
Chancellor, R. L., Langergraber, K., Ramirez, S., Rundus, A. S., & Vigilant, L. (2012). Genetic Sampling of Unhabituated Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Gishwati Forest Reserve, an Isolated Forest Fragment in Western Rwanda. International Journal of Primatology, 33(2), 479-488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-012-9591-6
Chancellor, R., Rundus, A., Nyiratuza, M., Nyandwi, S., & Aimable, T. (2020). Community‐based conservation and chimpanzee research in Gishwati forest, Rwanda. American Journal of Primatology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23195
Inman, S. & Ntoyinkama, C. (2020). Recent Survey of Birds in Gishwati Forest, Rwanda. Scopus, 40(1), 7–15.
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