Suitoro Classified Forest

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Summary

• Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Suitoro Classified Forest.
• The population size is unknown.
• The chimpanzee population trend is decreasing.
• The site has a total size of 435.03 km².
• Key threats to chimpanzees are hunting, cattle herding, family farming, and road construction bordering the site.
• Conservation activities have focused on habitat protection and patrolling.

Site characteristics

Suitoro Classified Forest is a relatively small protected area that has the Comoé river as its eastern limit. It is dominated by savanna, with multiple dry forest islands, many of which are degraded by illegal farms of subsistence crops. Besides the chimpanzees, this CF is also used by forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) that come seasonally from CNP and Mont Tingui. Besides illegal crops and old illegal logging (2003-2006), there are artisanal gold miners, poachers and cattle herders regularly entering.

Table 1. Basic site information for Suitoro Classified Forest

Species	'Pan troglodytes verus
Area	435.03 km²
Coordinates
Type of site	Protected area (Classified Forest)
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical dry forest, Savanna
Type of governance

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

There is a low density of chimpanzees confirmed by the INFF in 2021 and but this population may be important for being in contact with that of MontTingui and CNP and could have continuity in unprotected areas to the south. In 2022, the CCCP confirmed the chimpanzee presence in several forest islands through indirect signs (nests, dung, tools) along reconnaissance walks and camera trapping.

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Suitoro Classified Forest

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	2021	Present				Suitoro Classified Forest	Camera trap, Reconnaissance walk		CCCP	Four camera traps installed for preliminary survey
Pan troglodytes verus	2022	Present				Suitoro Classified Forest	Camera trap, Reconnaissance walk		INFF	Transects without Distance method

Threats

Family farming or subsistence crops inside forest island, abandoned after some years of exploitation and artisanal illegal gold-mining, with camps inside the CF degrading chimpanzee habitat and displacing them. Poaching with shotgun and snares of all fauna, both savanna and forest pose a direct threat by killing the chimpanzees. National (dirt) road makes the northern limit of the CF and there is a project to enlarge and pave it and to construct a bridge to cross Comoé river in the near future, which will increase the human flow in the area and the speed of the evacuation of bushmeat and forest resources.

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Suitoro Classified Forest

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Description	Year of threat
10 Geological events		Absent
12 Other threat		Absent
2 Agriculture & aquaculture	2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Family farming or subsistence crops inside forest island, abandoned after some years of exploitation.	2019, 2022
2 Agriculture & aquaculture	2.3 Livestock farming & ranching	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Cattle herders roam the savanna across the whole classified forest	2019, 2022
4 Transportation & service corridors	4.1 Roads & railroads	High (more than 70% of population affected)	National (dirt) road makes northern limit of the CF and there is a project to enlarge and pave it and to construct a bridge to cross Comoé river in the near future.	Ongoing (2022)
5 Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Poaching with shotgun and snares of all fauna, both savanna and forest.	2019, 2022
3 Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	Medium (30-70% of population affected)	Artisanal illegal gold mining, with camps inside the CF.	2019, 2022
1 Residential & commercial development		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

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

SODEFOR rangers patrol the CF sometimes and chased away farmers installed in camps inside the CF recently, with the support of other armed forces.

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Suitoro Classified Forest

Category	Specific activity	Description	Implementing organization(s)	Year of activity
5 Protection & restoration	5.2 Legally protect ape habitat	SODEFOR rangers patrol the CF sometimes and chase away farmers installed in camps inside the CF recently.		2019

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Suitoro Classified Forest

Challenges	Specific challenges	Source	Year(s)
	Not reported

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Suitoro Classified Forest

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

Documented behaviours

Table 7. Behaviours documented for Suitoro Classified Forest

Behavior	Source
Not reported

References

Page created by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: NA