Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
Central Africa > Cameroon > Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
Summary
- Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) are present in Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The population size is unknown.
- The population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 640 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are hunting, logging, and agricultural encroachment .
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
Established in 1996, Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary (BMWS) is situated between Korup National Park to the west and Santchou Wildlife Reserve to the east. With 322 bird species recorded, the site is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife International 2020). Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, mandrills, and forest elephants are present in BMWS. The population of forest elephants has been significantly reduced by poaching. BMWS falls naturally into two sections: the northern block where the terrain is mostly flat, and a mountainous southern block, which includes a small part of the Bakossi mountains (BirdLife International 2020).
Table 1. Basic site information for Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| Area | 640 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.357767 N, 9.609717 E |
| Designation | Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical moist montane forest, subtropical/tropical heavily degraded former forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes ellioti |
Threats
The site is mainly threatened by logging, hunting and agricultural encroachment—there are a number of villages found legally within the sanctuary boundaries (BirdLife International 2020).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Housing & urban areas | Present, but threat severity is unknown | A number of villages are found within the boundaries of the site, lawfully (BirdLife International 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Commercial poaching (Morgan et al. 2011; BirdLife International 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 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 |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| 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 | Not reported | ||
| 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 | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Greengrass, E.J. and Maisels, F. 2007. Conservation of the NigerianCameroon Chimpanzee P. t. vellerosus (and other mammals) In and Around the Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary, South-west Province, Cameroon. Report, WCS Cameroon Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York.
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
WWF Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/12/2020.
Morgan, B.J. et al. 2011. Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti). IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Zoological Society of San Diego, CA, USA
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 08/01/2021