Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

Central Africa > Democratic Republic of the Congo > Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

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Summary

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• Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are present in Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe).
• It has been estimated that up to 5,000 individuals occur in the site.
• The population trend is unknown.
• The site has a total size of 72,000 km².
• Key threats to bonobos are poaching, habitat destruction and degradation, risk of disease transmission.
• Conservation activities have focused on land-use planning.

Site characteristics

The block corresponds to the DRC sector of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and the Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale Lac Télé-Lac Tumba transboundary landscape (IUCN & ICCN 2012). The area extends over more than 72,000 km² and includes the Tumba and Mai Ndombe lakes. Swamp forests and seasonally-flooded forests cover 60–65% of the area, while the southern parts of the landscape are covered with savanna-forest mosaic (IUCN & ICCN 2012). The wetland is part of a transboundary Ramsar agreement with the Republic of Congo; the DRC sector (65,700 km²) is the largest Ramsar site in the world (IUCN & ICCN 2012).

Table 1. Basic site information for Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

Species	'Pan paniscus
Area	72,000 km²
Coordinates	Lat: -1.487097 , Lon: 17.250945
Type of site	Non-protected area
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, Savanna, Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes)
Type of governance

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

The block corresponds to the DRC sector of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and the Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale Lac Télé-Lac Tumba transboundary landscape (IUCN & ICCN 2012). The area extends over more than 72,000 km² and includes the Tumba and Mai Ndombe lakes. Swamp forests and seasonally-flooded forests cover 60–65% of the area, while the southern parts of the landscape are covered with savanna-forest mosaic (IUCN & ICCN 2012). The wetland is part of a transboundary Ramsar agreement with the Republic of Congo; the DRC sector (65,700 km²) is the largest Ramsar site in the world (IUCN & ICCN 2012).

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

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 paniscus	2003-2010				5000	Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)	Other		IUCN & ICCN 2012	estimate is a maxiumum

Threats

The main threats to bonobos in the block include poaching, habitat loss due and fragmentation, and the potential for disease transmission (IUCN & ICCN 2012).

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

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)	Agricultural activities leading to habitat destruction (IUCN & ICCN 2012).	Ongoing (2012)
5 Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Commercial poaching to supply urban bushmeat markets is intense, as the markets in Mbandaka, Kinshasa and Brazzaville are accessible through the Congo River (IUCN & ICCN 2012).	Ongoing (2012)
5 Biological resource use	5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Collection of NFTPs (IUCN & ICCN 2012).	Ongoing (2012)
5 Biological resource use	5.3 Logging & wood harvesting	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Logging concessions, located largely in the south, cover approximately 40% of the landscape; terra firma forests are mainly old secondary forests that have been logged in the past (IUCN & ICCN 2012).	Ongoing (2012)
1 Residential & commercial development		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

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

Within the framework of the CARPE programme, a land-use plan is being developed, which includes three protected areas, 13 community-based natural resource management areas and six resource extraction zones. The proposed protected areas are Tumba-Lediima Natural Reserve (7,500 km²), Ngiri Biosphere Reserve (524 km², created in January 2011), with no bonobos but a small population of chimpanzees (being located on the right bank of the Congo River), and Mabali Scientific Reserve (2.6 km²) (IUCN & ICCN 2012).

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

Challenges	Specific challenges	Source	Year(s)
	Not reported

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

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 Western block (Lac Tumba-Lac Mai Ndombe)

Behavior	Source
Not reported

References

Inogwabini, B.-I., Matungila, B., Mbende, L., Abokome, M. & wa Tshimanga, T. (2007). Great apes in the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo: newly described populations. Oryx 41: 532–538.

Inogwabini, B.-I., Bewa, M., Longwango, M., Abokome, M. & Vuvu, M. (2008). The bonobos of the Lake Tumba – Lake Maindombe hinterland: threats and opportunities for population conservation. In: The Bonobos: Behaviour, Ecology & Conservation. T. Furuichi & J. Thompson (eds.). Springer, New York, pp. 273–290.

IUCN & ICCN (2012). Bonobo (Pan paniscus): Conservation Strategy 2012–2022. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group & Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. 65 pp. Online: https://www.iucngreatapes.org/bonobo

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