Moyen-Bafing National Park
West Africa > Republic of Guinea > Moyen-Bafing National Park
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Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Moyen-Bafing National Park.
- It has been estimated that more than 5,000 individuals occur in the proposed Moyen-Bafing National Park.
- The chimpanzee population trend is likely stable.
- This site has a total size of 6426 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are agriculture, bauxite mining and a proposed hydraulic dam.
- Conservation activities implemented by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) include the establishment of a national park, environmental education, supporting sustainable agriculture, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration and reforestation.
- Moyen-Bafing National Park is in the final stage of being officially designated a National Park.
Site characteristics
Moyen-Bafing National Park (NP) is a protected area in its final stages of official designation in Northern Guinea. The site covers an area of 6426 km² and is located around the Bafing river close to the border with Mali (WCF 2017a). The national park encompasses seven classified forests: Bakoum, Bakoun (since 1951, 295.07 km2), Bani (since 1952, 189 km2), Boula (since 1955, 275 km2), Dar-Es-Salam (also Darou-salam, since 1954, 174.74 km²), Dokoro (since 1952, 78 km2) and Sobory (since 1956, 11.75 km2, WCF 2016, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN 2019).
Table 1. Basic site information for Moyen-Bafing National Park
| Species | 'Pan troglodytes verus |
| Area | 6,426.00 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: 11.59 , Lon: -11.18 |
| Type of site | Protected area (National Park) |
| Habitat types | Savanna, Shrubland, Subtropical/tropical dry forest, Grassland, Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes), Agricultural land |
| Type of governance |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
In a nationwide survey Rebecca Kormos confirmed the presence of western chimpanzees in Bakoun Classified Forest based on a questionnaire survey (Ham 1998). This was confirmed by a survey conducted in 2001 (Catterson et al. 2001). Chimpanzee presence was confirmed in the classified forests of Boula and Dokoro (Granier and Martinez 2002). In 2013/14 the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) conducted detailed surveys of the area along the Bafing river and estimated that more than 5,000 chimpanzees occur in an area of approximately 8,000 km2 (WCF 2014). Chimpanzee densities were highest in the classified forests (WCF 2014). High chimpanzee densities were confirmed by a follow-up survey in 2015/16 by the WCF (WCF 2016). Since 2017, the WCF implements a biomonitoring study with camera traps (WCF 2017b).
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Moyen-Bafing 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 verus | 1997 | Present | Bakoun CF | Interviews | Ham 1998 | Questionnaire survey | |||||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2001 | Present | Bakoun CF | Reconnaissance walk | Catterson et al. 2001 | Reconnaissance survey | |||||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2003-2004 | Present | Boula and Dokoro CF | Reconnaissance walk | Granier & Martinez 2004 | Reconnaissance survey | |||||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2013-2014 | 0.58 | 5,542 | 8153 km² around the Bafing river | Line transects | WCF 2014 | |||||
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2015-2016 | 4,365 | 4228 km² | Line transects | WCF 2016 |
Threats
A detailed demographic survey conducted by the WCF in 2016 found that 405 villages are located in Moyen-Bafing NP. 23 of those villages are in classified forests, 11 of which are not legally recognized (WCF 2016). Overall, human densities are low with 9.54 inhabitants per km² as 70% of the villages have less than 150 inhabitants (WCF 2016). People use the area for agriculture and hunting wildlife. Bush-fires for clearing agricultural areas are very prominent threats to ecosystems (WCF 2016). Further threats include overgrazing, poor agricultural methods, soil erosion, and overfishing (Bakarr 2001, WCF 2016, 2017b, 2018). Excessive deforestation and uncontrolled bush-fires reinforce negative effects of climatic changes, such as reduced rainfall, drought and dried up rivers (WCF 2016). In addition, a hydraulic dam is planned to be constructed upstream on the Bafing river, the Koukoutamba dam project lead by the Senegal River Basin Development Authority (OMVS:Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal), which could threaten 750 chimpanzee due to the permanent flooding of areas in the Moyen-Bafing NP (WCF 2016). There are also mining concessions by the Société Bauxite de Dabola-Tougué Corporation (SBDT) that encompass two classified forests in the southern part of Moyen-Bafing NP and if developed could threaten an estimated 1300 chimpanzees (WCF 2016).
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Moyen-Bafing National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Energy production & mining | Present (unknown severity) | Two mining concessions but not active (WCF 2016); Koukoutamba dam project is being planned. | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | Absent | |||
| 6 Human intrusions & disturbance | Absent | |||
| 9 Pollution | Absent | |||
| 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 reinforces negative impacts of climate change (WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | High (more than 70% of population affected) | Bush fires for clearing agricultural land (WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 1 Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Residential areas | Medium (30-70% of population affected) | 405 villages (WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Medium (30-70% of population affected) | Agricultural activities widespread (Bakarr et al. 2001; WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.3 Livestock farming & ranching | Medium (30-70% of population affected) | Area used for grazing livestock (Bakarr et al. 2001; WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Medium (30-70% of population affected) | Hunting occurs, but hunting taboos also widespread (Bakarr et al. 2001; Boesch et al. 2017; WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2017) |
| 8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Unknown | |||
| 11 Climate change & severe weather | 11.2 Droughts | Present (unknown severity) | Reduced rainfall, drought, and dried up rivers increase the pressure on chimpanzee habitat as more habitat is converted for human uses (WCF 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
Conservation activities
As part of the project “Projet de Conservation de Chimpanzés” local hunters were trained in 2001 to collect monitoring data on the number and movement of chimpanzees in Bakoun Classified Forest (Kormos et al. 2003). Since 2014, the WCF is implementing different environmental awareness raising activities, often focused on the protection of western chimpanzees, including radio and TV broadcasts, an extracurricular environmental education program at schools (Club P.A.N. program), and theater awareness raising campaigns in several villages with discussion rounds (WCF 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017b, 2018). To counteract the negative effects of deforestation the WCF started a plant nursery in 2016 and the first reforestation project has been launched in 2018 covering 4.34 ha (WCF 2016, WCF 2018). Since 2018, the WCF implements bushfire prevention activities such as cutting fire breaks [WCF 2018].
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Moyen-Bafing National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Development impact mitigation | 1.4 Farm more intensively and effectively in selected areas and spare more natural land | Introduced Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration to support environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, support market gardens (WCF 2018) | Since 2018 | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | Different environmental awareness raising activities implemented (WCF 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017b, 2018) | Since 2014 | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.2 Involve local community in ape research and conservation management | Community-based monitoring system of chimpanzees implemented (Kormos et al. 2013) | Started in 2001, end point unknown | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.4 Regularly play TV and radio announcements to raise ape conservation awareness | Radio and TV shows used to raise environmental awareness (WCF 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017b, 2018) | Since 2014 | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.5 Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions | Environmental awareness raising activities include theater plays, discussion rounds and extra-curricular school activities (WCF 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017b, 2018) | Since 2014 | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.11 Protect important food/nest trees before burning | Bushfire prevention activities such as cutting fire breaks (WCF 2018) | Since 2018 | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.1 Create buffer zones around protected ape habitat | Design of national park includes a core area, a buffer area for sustainable activities only and a so-called area for development (WCF 2015) | Since 2015 | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | Seven classified forests, and National Park in process of creation (WCF 2015, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019) | Since 1952 | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.6 Habitat restoration | Plant nursery and reforestation activities (WCF 2016, 2017b, 2018) | Since 2016 | |
| 7 Economic & other incentives | 7.2 Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., better education, infrastructure development) | Hydrology study implemented by WCF (WCF 2017b) | Since 2017 |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Moyen-Bafing National Park
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not reported |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for Moyen-Bafing 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
In 2014/15, a study on the ecological and socio-economic drivers of mammal densities was conducted in Moyen-Bafing NP (Boesch et al. 2017). Similar data was collected in a follow-up survey in 2017 (WCF 2017b). A temporary research site was set up in Bakoun Classified Forest by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany, and the WCF as part of the Pan African Programme (PanAf) ‘The Cultured Chimpanzee’ from 2014 to 2015 (Boesch et al. 2016). Further research includes research on chimpanzee behavior (since 2017), study on the degradation of chimpanzee nests (since 2015), a meteorological study measuring rainfall, humidity and temperature (since 2016), a bushfire study on areas that burn regularly (since 2014) and a study on the hydrology of the rivers (since 2016, WCF 2017b). In 2018, a botanical survey was implemented as a collaboration between the WCF with the Kew Royal Botanical Garden and the National Herbarium of Guinea, that discovered two plant species new to science (WCF 2018). The same year an ornithological monitoring study was implemented by the WCF and Biotope (WCF 2018).
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for Moyen-Bafing National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Algae fishing | Boesch et al. 2016 |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Bakarr M et al. 2001. in IUCN 2008. From forest to the sea: biodiversity connections from Guinea to Togo. Conservation priority setting workshop. Washington D.C., USA: Conservation International
Boesch C et al. 2016. Chimpanzees routinely fish for algae with tools during the dry season in Bakoun, Guinea, American Journal of Primatology. 79: e22613
Boesch L et al. 2017. Wild mammals as economic goods and implications for their conservation, Ecology and Society 22(4):36
Brugière D, Kormos R. 2009. Review of the protected area network in Guinea, West Africa, and recommendations for new sites for biodiversity conservation, Biodiversity and Conservation, 18:847
Brugière D. 2012. Identifying priority areas for the conservation of antelopes in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa, using the complementarity approach, Oryx, 46(2): 253-259
Catterson TM et al. 2001. Programmatic environmental assessment of co-management of reserved forests in Guinea, prepared for: USAID/GUINEA
Granier N, Martinez L. 2004. Première reconnaissance des chimpanzés Pan troglodytes verus dans la zone transfontalière entre la Guinée et le Mali (Afrique de l’Ouest), Primatologie, 6:423-447.
Ham R. 1998. Nationwide chimpanzee census and large mammal survey Republic of Guinea. Projet de conservation des chimpanzés en Guineée. Report to the European Union.
Kormos R et al. 2003. The Republic of Guinea, in Kormos, R. Boesch, C., Bakarr, M.I. & Butynski, T.M. [eds.] Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK
WCF. 2012. Annual report 2012 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2014. Annual report 2014 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2015 Annual report 2015 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2016. Annual report 2016 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2017a. Guinea approves creation of largest sanctuary for the West African chimpanzee. Press release of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation from 30 October 2017. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2017b. Annual report 2017 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
WCF. 2018. Annual report 2018 – activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Online: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
UNEP-WCMC, IUCN. 2019. Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN Online: www.protectedplanet.net
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