Conkouati-Douli National Park
Central Africa > Republic of the Congo > Conkouati-Douli National Park
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Conkouati-Douli National Park.
- It is estimated that 7,000 chimpanzees and 900 gorillas occur at the site.
- The population trends are unknown.
- The site has a total size of 5,049 km².
- Key threats to great apes are bushmeat hunting and mining.
- Conservation activities at the site include a reintroduction program for rescued chimpanzees.
- The site is designated as a Ramsar Site.
Site characteristics
Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP) was established in 1999, replacing the Conkouati Wildlife Reserve existing since 1980. CDNP is situated in the southwest corner of the Republic of Congo, bordering Gabon's Mayumba National Park to the north. Together, Mayumba National Park and CDNP form the Conkouati-Mayumba landscape, characterised by coastal lowland forest that extends into higher altitude forest in the mountains to the east, and descends to the inland savanna plain (Tutin et al. 2005). As a result of CDNP's broad habitat diversity, the park is the most biodiverse in Congo. In addition to chimpanzees and gorillas, CDNP is home to many threatened species, including forest elephants, mandrills, and forest buffalo. Marine species, such as manatees, turtles, dolphins and whales, are also found at the site. The coastline of the park, which comprises 35% of the country's coastline, is an important site for sea turtle nesting, particularly for Leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles (WCS; BirdLife International 2020). The site is also an Important Bird Area, with at least 288 species present (BirdLife International 2020). CDNP is also designated as a Ramsar Site and is registered on the indicative list of UNESCO World Heritage (Parcs de Noé).
Table 1. Basic site information for Conkouati-Douli National Park
| Area | 5,049 km² |
| Coordinates | -3.797862 S, 11.487369 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical swamp forest, savanna, coastal brackish/saline lagoons/marine lakes |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
An estimated 7,000 chimpanzees and 900 gorillas occur in the park (Parcs de Noé).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Conkouati-Douli National Park
| 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 troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla |
Threats
Lack of hunting controls and law enforcement combined with high demand for bushmeat in urban markets threaten the ape population at CDNP (IUCN 2014).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Conkouati-Douli National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | Absent | Mining is now suspended in the park (BirdLife International 2020). | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Hunting driven by considerable demand for bushmeat from urban markets in Congo (IUCN 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Logging concessions present at the site, before and after it was declared a National Park (BirdLife International 2020; IUCN 2014). | 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 Conkouati-Douli National Park
| 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 | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The site was declared a National Park in 1999; before that, it was a Wildlife Reserve, since 1980. | Ongoing |
| 12. Species Management | 12.16. Reintroduce primates as single/multiple individuals | The NGO HELP Congo has a reintroduction program, and has released several rescued chimpanzees into the Triangle site (a forested area bordered by the Conkouati lagoon within the park). | Ongoing |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Conkouati-Douli National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of law enforcement | IUCN 2014 |
| Lack of transboundary cooperation | IUCN 2014 |
Research activities
A Longitudinal Study on Feeding Behaviour and Activity Patterns of Released Chimpanzees in Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo
Forest Feeding Phenology of Pan troglodytes (chimpanzee) east of Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo
Effect of construction of natural reserve on the livelihoods and income of local residents around Conkouati-Doulinational Park, Republic Of Congo
Confirmation of the Presence of the Red-Capped Mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus) in Mayumba National Park, Southern Gabon, and Conkouati-Douli National Park, Southern Republic of Congo
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Conkouati-Douli National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
WCS Conkouati-Douli National Park
Parcs de Noé
The National park of Conkouati-Douli
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Conkouati National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/12/2020.
Tutin, C., et. al. 2005. Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Western Equatorial Africa. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group Conservation International. Washington, DC.
IUCN (2014). Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Western Lowland Gorillas and Central Chimpanzees 2015–2025. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. 56 pp.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 29/12/2020