View source for Lac Télé Community Reserve

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[[Central Africa]] > [[Republic of the Congo]] > [[Lac Télé Community Reserve]]

= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with one sentence for each section. May include a site map -->
<div style="float: right">
{{#display_map: height=200px | width=300px | scrollzoom=off | zoom=5 | layers= OpenStreetMap, OpenTopoMap
|1.316971, 17.223215 ~[[Lac Télé Community Reserve]]~Western Lowland Gorilla & Central Chimpanzee
}}
</div>
* Central chimpanzees (''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'') & western lowland gorillas (''Gorilla gorilla gorilla'') are present in Lac Télé Community Reserve.
* It has been estimated that 7,323 (CI: 3,781-14,184) gorillas and 642 (CI: 297-1,390) chimpanzees occur in the site.
* The chimpanzee and gorilla population trends are increasing.
* The site has a total size of 4,400 km².
* Key threats to great apes are hunting and habitat loss due to expected increase in road construction.
* Conservation activities have focused on monitoring with SMART, anti-poaching patrols, and providing alternative forms of income and protein to reduce the bushmeat trade.
[[File: Gorilla gorilla gorilla Lac Tele.jpg | 400px | thumb| right | © Guido Trevillini, WCS]] 
= Site characteristics = <!-- A paragraph summary of physical and geographic aspects of the site, and a table of key information -->
[[File: Pan troglodytes Lac Tele.png | 400px | thumb| right | © Guido Trevillini, WCS]] 
Lac Télé Community Reserve is located in the northeastern Republic of the Congo. Consisting of 70% wetland, Lac Télé Community Reserve is one of the world's largest swamp-forest ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]). The site is located between the Sangha and Oubangui rivers, which seasonally flood the forest, grassland, and floating prairies, and pump water into the lakes, ponds and rivers found at the site. In the centre of the reserve lies an area of firm land, which is an important habitat for gorillas ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]). The reserve supports one of the densest populations of western lowland gorillas, and it is also home to chimpanzees, elephants, buffaloes, duikers, and hippopotamuses ([https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/950 Ramsar]). The reserve was designated a Ramsar site in 1998. In 2017, the Lac Tumba Transboundary Ramsar Site was established, which includes Lac Télé and Grands Affluents in Congo, as well as Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo ([https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/950 Ramsar]). The reserve is owned by the local communities; approximately 20,000 people in the reserve ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]; [https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/950 Ramsar]). These communities heavily depend on the reserve's natural resources for fish, agriculture, construction materials canoes, and medicines ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]; [https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/950 Ramsar]).

'''Table 1. Basic site information for Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"
| Area <!-- Please include units: km2/ha e.g 200ha -->
|4,400 km²
|-
|Coordinates
|1.316971 N, 17.223215 E
|-
|Designation
|Community Reserve
|-
|Habitat types <!-- List IUCN Habitat Classification 3.0 categories present (without number), see link below -->
|Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, wetlands (inland) – bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands, subtropical/tropical moist shrubland, subtropical/tropical seasonally wet/flooded grassland, wetlands (inland) – shrub dominated wetlands
|}
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme IUCN habitat categories] [[Site designations]]

= Ape status = <!--An overview of ape population status (population sizes, trends, etc.), followed by a table of specific surveys and results - ->

Three surveys were conducted in the study area in 2006, 2010-2011 and 2016-2017. A new survey will be conducted in 2022 (). Data have shown a growing population trend for the two species and particularly for ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''. While for the chimpanzee ''Pan troglodytes'' Lac Tele does not show the highest densities (but the species is found), the centre of the reserve, as well as the northern areas and the external areas of Batanga, seem to host a density of gorillas up to 2.5 individuals/km2 (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).

'''Table 2. Ape population estimates in Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="population-estimate-table"
! Species
! Year
! Abundance estimate (95% CI)
! Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)
! Encounter rate (nests/km)
! Area
! Method
! Source
! Comments
! A.P.E.S. database ID
|-
|''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|2006
|5,402 (2,778–10,486)
|
|
|1,029 km2 of the south-eastern Reserve periphery including Raphia swamp forests
|Line transects (Distance)
|Rainey et al. 2010
|
|
|-
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'' & ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|2006
|7,647 (4,044–12,183)
|
|
|1,029 km2 of the south-eastern Reserve periphery including Raphia swamp forests
|Line transects (Distance)
|Rainey et al. 2010
|
|
|-
|''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|2017
|7,323 (3,781-14,184)
|
|
|1,029 km2 of the south-eastern Reserve periphery including Raphia swamp forests
|Line transects (Distance)
|Brncic et al. 2017
|
|
|-
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes''
|2017
|642 (297-1,390)
|
|
|1,029 km2 of the south-eastern Reserve periphery including Raphia swamp forests
|Line transects (Distance)
|Brncic et al. 2017
|
|
|}

= Threats =     <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->

As a result of the civil war occurring in the country in the 90s, many war guns are still present in the country. Poaching is widespread, and the laws and regulations of legal hunting do not follow direct scientific criteria. Apes are less targeted than small monkeys, nonetheless the threat is present (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).
The proposed road between Bene (north LTCR) and Epena (east LTCR) would cut the northern area into two pieces, leading to fragmentation and poaching inside an area that is nowadays considered as virgin flooded forest. For this road, authorities have already "posed the first stone"; there is no ESIA foreseen and the funding mechanism is not clear (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).

'''Table 3. Threats to apes in Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="threats-table"
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE THREAT CATEGORIES -->
!Specific threats <!-- For specific threats, please use list of comma separated keywords from the IUCN list linked below -->
!Threat level <!-- For threat level, please use keywords: low, medium, high, present, absent, unknown-->
!Quantified severity <!-- Enter any available quantification of the threat, e.g., the proportion of the area affected by the threat, hunting sign encounter rates-->
!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->
!Year of threat <!--  Enter specific year(s), “ongoing”, or “unknown”. If the threat is ongoing, please add the year of reference in parentheses -->
|-
|1. Residential & commercial development
|
|Absent
|
|
|
|-
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
|
|Absent
|
|
|
|-
|3. Energy production & mining
|
|Absent
|
|
|
|-
|4. Transportation & service corridors
|4.1 Roads & railroads
|High
|
|A road project between Epene and Bene is foreseen and proposed by the State. The road would cut the northern area of the reserve, increasing the access to nowadays inaccessible flooded forest and potentially fragmenting the humid environment (if the road will be built on a stripe of terra firma) (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).
|Future, but public authorities already organised events to publicly announce the project will be done.
|-
|5. Biological resource use
|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
|Present, but threat severity is unknown
|
|Mammal species hunted for commercial bushmeat markets, not only locally, but also in urban areas further away, e.g., in Kinshasa ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]).  Hunting gorillas in the area seems to be opportunistic (Meyer K., unpubl.data) but some cases of poachers targeting gorillas are known (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).
|Ongoing (2022)
|-
|5. Biological resource use
|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
|Low
|
|Deforestation concentrated along the rivers and in terra firma forests. Trees are logged mainly for firewood collection and slash-and-burn agriculture. Although at the moment is it small-scale, the threat is expected to increase as road networks expand in the area ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]).
|Ongoing
|-
|6. Human intrusion & 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
|
|
|
|-
|}
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme IUCN Threats list]

= Conservation activities =       <!-- A summary of the conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities --> 

The reserve is managed by the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) in partnership with WCS Congo. WCS implements surveys every 5 years, in order to establish the densities and the most important areas for management. Anti-poaching activities are constantly funded and implemented. Two PhD projects about a) coexistence between apes and humans, and b) spatial ecology of the gorillas will provide further information in the future, to improve management at the local scale. Community-based conservation is constantly implemented, having hunting as a main theme; for example, sustainable fishing in order to provide alternative proteins to bushmeat and to reduce great ape poaching (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).

'''Table 4. Conservation activities in Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
!Specific activity <!-- For specific threats, please use list from the list linked below, OR enter “Not reported” -->
!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->
!Year of activity <!-- Add descriptive information -->
|-
|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
|5.11. Provide training to anti-poaching ranger patrols
|WCS Congo, together with the Government of Congo, are recruiting and training rangers to patrol and protect the landscape and its wildlife ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]).
|Ongoing (2022)
|-
|
|5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols
|Provide rangers with training on the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART)([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]).
|Ongoing (2022)
|-
|6. Human intrusion & 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 
|10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management
|A WCS community based conservation team is always active, involving local population writing and signing agreements and management plans (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).
|Ongoing (2022)
|-
|11. Habitat Protection
|Not reported
|
|
|-
|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)
|Providing alternative forms of income (to reduce bushmeat trade) by developing and implementing a cocoa conservation management program; sustainable fisheries and commerce of dried fish; and a microcredit program ([https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS]).
|Ongoing (2022)
|-
|}
[[Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)]]

= Challenges = <!-- Overview of challenges in ape conservation -->

A new road could dramatically impact the conservation status of the site (see threats). The most important local challenge is finding a way to improve the local economy: bushmeat is nowadays a widely used source of income. Tourism is not easy to create, due to the lack of a regularly working airport (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).

'''Table 5. Challenges reported for Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="challenges-table"
!align="left"|Challenge <!-- Do not change categories -->
!Source <!-- Source for challenge mentioned -->
|-
|Corruption
|Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022
|-
|Lack of national protection
|Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022
|-
|}

= Research activities = <!-- Overview of research activities -->

Two PhD projects are active in the area. The first one is anthropological research focusing on the coexistence of humans and great apes. The second project regards the spatial ecology of gorillas, targeting movements in function of resources (Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022).

===Documented behaviours===   <!-- List of any behaviours observed at the site, including citations -->

'''Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Lac Télé Community Reserve'''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"
!align="left"|Behavior
!Source
|-
|making ground nests
|Trivellini, G. pers. comm. 2022
|-
|}

=External links=
[https://congo.wcs.org/Wild-Places/Lac-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Community-Reserve.aspx WCS Lac Télé Community Reserve] <br>
[https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/950 Ramsar Lac Télé/Likouala-aux-herbes] <br>

===Relevant datasets===
[http://apesportal.eva.mpg.de/database/archiveMap A.P.E.S Portal]

= References =
Rainey, H. J., Iyenguet, F. C., Malanda, G.-A. F., Madzoké, B., Santos, D. D., Stokes, E. J., Maisels, F., & Strindberg, S. (2010). Survey of Raphia swamp forest, Republic of Congo, indicates high densities of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla. Oryx, 44(01), 124. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060530999010X <br>
Brncic et al 2017. Ndoki Likouala large scale mammal Survey, 2017. WCS Internal report<br>

<br>
'''Page completed by: '''Guido Trivellini''' Date:''' 08/04/2022 <!-- If you don't want to add your name, you can add "A.P.E.S. Wiki team" -->