West Africa > Guinea-Bissau > Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Summary

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Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park.
It has been estimated that between 137 and 311 individuals occur at the site.
The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
This site has a total size of 890 km².
Key threats to chimpanzees are disturbance through human activities.
Conservation activities conducted by the ”Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Areas Protegidas (IBAP)” include livelihood improvement and awareness raising.

Site characteristics

Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park [LCNP (11.70 N, -15.04 W)] was created in December 2000 in the region of Quinara, in southern Guinea-Bissau and is managed by the governmental organization “Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP)”. LCNP is a Ramsar site and covers an area of 890 km 2 (including water areas) (Sousa C. et al. 2005). The average annual temperature is 26°C and the average annual rainfall 200 mm. The rain season reaches from June to October/ November (Catarino L. 2002). Consisting of three lakes (Biorna, Bedasse and Cufada itself), this park holds the country’s largest freshwater reserve, an important detail for the existence of several rare types of animals and plants. Overall, 33 villages are found in the park, inhabited by 3,534 people of different ethnic groups (Beafada (77.4%), Balanta (8.7%), Fula (3.6%), Manjaco (3.6%), Pepel (2.6%) and Bijagó, Mandiga and Mancanha (4.1%)) (Imbali F. 1997, IBAP. 2007, Carvalho, Marques, & Vicente 2013). The villagers’ livelihoods rely extensively on natural resources for their survival. Subsistence farming, and bushmeat hunting is common (Carvalho, Marques, & Vicente 2013). Chimpanzees are not hunted because of the similarity to humans (Amador et al. 2015).

Table 1. Basic site information for Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Area	890 km²
Coordinates	11.70, -15.04
Designation	Natural Park
Habitat types	Subtropical/Tropical Swamp, Forest, Moist Savanna, Permanent Freshwater, Marshes/Pools

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

The Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park is delimited by two main rivers, the Corubal in the north and the Buba River in the south, which limits the chimpanzee distribution north and south of the protected area. Estimates for the chimpanzee population ranges from 137 individuals (Carvalho, Marques, & Vicente 2013) to 311 individuals (Carvalho, Marques, & Vicente 2013). The population trend is unknown. Nest decay rate was estimated to be 293.9 days (%CV = 58.80).

Table 2. Great ape population estimates in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Species	Year	Abundance estimate (95% CI)	Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)	Area	Method	Source	Comments
Pan troglodytes verus	2007	281	0.75 (0.27-1.67)		Unknown	Sousa 2008
Pan troglodytes verus	2010	311	0.50 (0.18–1.39) weaned individuals	Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park	Line transects (Distance)	Carvalho et al. 2013	Total survey effort: 235.2 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2011	137	0.22 (0.08–0.63) weaned individuals	Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park	Line transects (Distance)	Carvalho et al. 2013	Total survey effort: 67.2 km

Threats

Most of the roads and settlements in LCNP are surrounded by extensive cashew monocultures, which reduces the availability of nesting trees for chimpanzees. Chimpanzees sometimes split branches while crop-raiding, when trying to reach the fruit, leading to irreversible damages of trees and often resulting in chimpanzee-human conflict (Carvalho et al. 2013). During cashew harvesting (March to late June), the number of people inside the park, as well as road traffic, usually increases and the temporary harvest workers show little awareness with respect to the conservation of park biodiversity (Carvalho et al. 2013). Hunting is allowed during the dry season (November until April) but forbidden during the rainy season, usually the reproductive periods (May until October). Chimpanzees and other non- human primates cannot be legally hunted and the trade in bushmeat is illegal at all times (Amador et al. 2015). However hunting for the trade and of primates happens inside the Park as a source of vital income and meat is traded in and outside the park, often to cities as Bissau, where wild meat, particularly big monkeys as baboons, can be sold at higher prices (Quecuta pers. Comm. 2023). The bushmeat trade takes place along the main roads or by boat, with Bissau as the primary destination. Although people from the Beafada ethnic do not eat bush pigs or monkeys due to religious restrictions (Muslims), they still hunt these animals for sale to others (Amador et al. 2015). Even though commercial hunting constitutes a threat to the primate populations, chimpanzees are usually not targeted or sold because of the similarity to humans (Amador et al. 2015). One third of the area of LCNP has been destroyed since 2003 for construction of a harbour for bauxite transport. This has also eroded local population’s respect for the NP’s integrity (IUCN & Chimbo 2016).

Table 3. Threats to great apes in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Quantified severity	Description	Year of threat
1. Residential & commercial development	1.1 Housing & urban areas	Low	3534 people in 33 rural villages	Around 3534 people in 33 rural villages live in the park and heavily dependent on natural resources (Amador et al. 2015)	Ongoing (2015)
2. Agriculture & aquaculture		Not reported
3. Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	Present	One third of the area has been destroyed for construction of a harbor for bauxite transport (IUCN & Chimbo 2016)		Ongoing (2016)
4. Transportation & service corridors	4.1 Roads & railroads	Low		Roads used during cashew harvest (Carvalho et al. 2013)	Ongoing (2013)
5. Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Low		Even a commercial bushmeat trade exists; chimpanzees are usually not targeted because of similarities to humans (Amador et al. 2015, Quecuta pers. comm. 2023).	Ongoing (2023)
	5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants	Low		During cashew harvest (Carvalho et al. 2013)	Ongoing (2013)
6. Human intrusions & disturbance		Absent
7. Natural system modifications		Absent
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases		Unknown
9. Pollution		Unknown
10. Geological Events		Absent
11. Climate change & severe weather		Unknown
12. Other options		Absent

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

The LCNP attempts to protect biodiversity and simultaneously provide for peoples’ livelihood and development needs (Catarina Casanova, 2015). The Park management provided livelihood related incentives, such as health infrastructures, boreholes, improvement of schools before the LCNP implementation, incentives for the raising and consumption of domestic animals and honey bee production (Amador et al. 2015). Educational approaches, such as engaging local people in pro-conservation behaviours, as well as value and attitude change through environmental education are implemented by Park Guards (Amador et al. 2015). In Long-term population monitoring in LCNP, an important refuge for coastal populations of the western chimpanzee, would be highly desirable and may be achieved by investing in local training and capacity building (Carvalho et al. 2013).

Table 4. Conservation activities in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

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	5.1. Implement no-hunting seasons for primates	Amador et al. 2015	Ongoing (2015)
	5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols	Not as regular (Amador et al. 2015)	Ongoing (2015)
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	Amador et al. 2015, Quecuta pers. comm. (2023)	Ongoing (2023)
11. Habitat Protection	11.2. Legally protect primate habitat	Designated as natural park in 2000 (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN 2019)	Ongoing (2023)
12. Species Management	Not reported
13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives	13.2. Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g. better education, infrastructure development)	Amador et al. 2015	Ongoing (2015)

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

The LCNP is managed by a governmental organization, the “Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Areas Protegidas (IBAP)”. IBAP faces severe funding and personnel limitations despite multiple threats to the park’s integrity (Carvalho et al. 2013).

Table 5. Challenges reported for Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Challenges	Source
Lack of financial means	Carvalho et al. 2013
Lack of human resources	Carvalho et al. 2013

Research activities

Documented behaviours

Table 6. Great ape behaviors reported for Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

Behavior	Source
Not reported

References

Amador R et al. 2015. Ethnicity and Perceptions of Bushmeat Hunting Inside Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park (LCNP), Guinea-Bissau. Journal of Primatology, 03(02). https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-6801.1000121
Catarino L, Martins ES, Diniz MA. 2002. Vegetation structure and ecology of the Cufada Lagoon (Guinea-Bissau) African Journal of Ecology. 40: 252–299.
Carvalho, J. S., Marques, T. A., & Vicente, L. 2013. Population Status of Pan troglodytes verus in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park, Guinea-Bissau. PLoS ONE, 8(8), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071527
IBAP 2007. Estratégia Nacional para as Áreas Protegidas e a Conservação da Biodiversidade na Guiné-Bissau 2007-2011, Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas, Bissau, República da Guiné- Bissau.47.
Imbali F 1997. Estudo do Impacto Sócio-Económico da Criação do Parque das lagoas de Cufada sobre as Populações Residentes, MTAA/ INEP, Bissau, República da Guiné-Bissau.
Sousa C, Gippoliti S, Akhlas M. 2005. Republic of Guinea-Bissau. In: Caldecott J, Miles L, World Atlas of Great Apes and Their Conservation. UNEP World Conservation: University of California Press, Berkeley, USA. 362–365.
Sousa J. 2008. Densidade de Pan troglodytes verus (Chimpanzé da África Ocidental) no Parque Natural das Lagoas de Cufada, República da Guiné-Bissau. Lisbon: Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. 55 p.
UNEP-WCMC, IUCN. 2019. Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN Online: www.protectedplanet.net

Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team & Queba Quecuta Date: 12/07/2023 br>

Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park

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