Korup National Park
Central Africa > Cameroon > Korup National Park
Summary
- Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) are present in Korup National Park.
- It has been estimated that 167 (CI: 91-305) individuals occur in the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is decreasing.
- The site has a total size of 1,260 km².
- Hunting is the main threat to chimpanzees.
- Conservation activities have focused on wildlife research and livelihood improvement initiatives.
Site characteristics
Korup National Park is located in western Cameroon, bordering Cross River National Park in southeast Nigeria (BirdLife International 2021). The site was established as a forest reserve in 1962 and upgraded to a national park in 1986 (Morgan et al. 2011, BirdLife International 2021). Altitudes range from just above sea-level to over 1,000 m but the terrain is generally flat, with hills and escarpments found only in the northern section of the park; the highest peak (Mount Ekundukundu) is situated in the centre of the park (BirdLife International 2021). The forests of Korup are floristically diverse and the annual average rainfall is approximately 5,460 mm. The diversity of birds is relatively well known, with some 320 species recorded in and on the margins of the site, including a large number of species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome (BirdLife International 2021). Mammals of conservation concern found at the site include mandrills (Mandrillus leucophaeus), Preuss's monkey (Cercopithecus preussi), and forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). The occurrence of Preuss's red colobus, Procolobus (badius) preussi, is of special importance (Morgan et al. 2011, BirdLife International. 2021).
Table 1. Basic site information for Korup National Park
| Area | 1,260 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.354790 N, 8.977458 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Two surveys were conducted in logged and unlogged sites in the Korup Project Area, which consists of the Korup National Park and the surrounding Support Zone (5,357 sq.km), where two logging concessions had been active between 1996-1998 (Waltert et al. 2002). The results of the survey showed that between 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, chimpanzee (as well as other primate) density decreased in the logged sites (Waltert et al. 2002).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Korup 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 ellioti | 1999-2000 | 0.55 (0.05–6.00) | 0.14 (0.00–82) | Korup Project Area, logged sites | Line transects (Distance) | Waltert et al. 2002 | Survey effort 96 km | ||
| Pan troglodytes ellioti | 2000-2001 | 0.09 (0.02–0.34) | Korup Project Area, logged sites | Line transects (Distance) | Waltert et al. 2002 | Survey effort 56 km | |||
| Pan troglodytes ellioti | 2000-2001 | 0.16 (0.02–1.21) | 0.08 (0.01–0.63) | Korup Project Area, unlogged sites | Line transects (Distance) | Waltert et al. 2002 | Survey effort 86 km | ||
| Pan troglodytes ellioti | 2007-2010 | 167 (91-305) | 0.13 (0.07-0.24) | Korup National Park | Line transects (Distance) | Waltert 2012 as cited by Kupsch et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan troglodytes ellioti | 2016 | Present | Korup National Park | Line transects (Distance) | Hofner et al. 2020 | Acoustic and visual encounters. |
Threats
Hunting is a major threat to chimpanzees and other mammals in Korup National Park (Morgan et al. 2011, Hofner et al. 2020). Pressure on the park's wildlife is high due to the dependence of local on bushmeat, and the demand for bushmeat in neighbouring Nigeria (Diotoh n.d.). In addition, 70,000 ha of the park's bufffer zone, which were once traditional hunting grounds, have been converted into oil palm plantations (Diotoh n.d.).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Korup National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Agricultural encroachment from industrial plantations and villages situated inside the park (BirdLife International 2021). | Ongoing (2021) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Illegal wildlife hunting for bushmeat is a serious threat (Morgan et al. 2011, Hofner et al. 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
The Korup Rainforest Conservation Society (KRCS) is a community based organisation in Southwest Cameroon that was created in 2009. KRCS supports and implements various conservation activities, especially related to wildlife research and livelihood improvement initiatives such as donating farming equipment and community infrastructural development (KRCS).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Korup 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 | 5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols | Anti-poaching patrols evaluation and design (KRCS n.d.). | Ongoing |
| 5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols | GPS and GIS training for KRCS members, wildlife monitoring (KRCS n.d.). | Ongoing | |
| 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 | 10.1. Educate local communities about primates and sustainable use | Video shows on conservation, nature excursions for kids (KRCS n.d.). | Ongoing |
| 10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management | Involvement in primate research, biomonitoring, and training in conservation project management (KRCS n.d.). | Ongoing | |
| 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) | Farming equipment, scholarships, community infrastructure development, green initiatives e.g. bee farming, small scale poultry and non-timber products value chain improvement (KRCS n.d.). | Ongoing |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Conflicts between park staff and local communities due to inadequate flow of information (Diotoh n.d.).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Korup National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of trust and support from local communities | Diotoh n.d. |
Research activities
The KRCS conducts conservation research activities, mainly focused on biomonitoring, socio-economic surveys, and primate research (KRCS n.d.).
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Korup National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
KRSC
Conservation Leadership Programme
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Korup National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/10/2021.
Morgan, B. J., Adeleke, A., Bassey, T., Bergl, R., Dunn, A., Fotso, R., ... & Williamson, E. A. (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.
Diotoh, O.R. (n.d.).Action for primate conservation in Korup National Park, Cameroon. https://www.conservationleadershipprogramme.org/project/primate-conservation-korup-national-park-cameroon/
KRCS (n.d.).Activities.https://www.korup-conservation.org/activities/
Waltert, M., Faber, K., & Mühlenberg, M. (2002). Further declines of threatened primates in the Korup Project Area, south-west Cameroon. Oryx, 36(3), 257-265.
Hofner, A. N., Jost Robinson, C. A., Hall, E. S., Capel, T., Astaras, C., & Linder, J. M. (2020). Surveying primates in northeastern Korup National Park, Cameroon. A Longitudinal Comparison. African Primates, 14, 35-44.
Kupsch, D., Serge, B. K., Waltert, M., Chia, N. B., Brice, B. C. G., Abdoulaye, D., & Kalagan, D. (2014). Biodiversity, carbon stock and market value assessment for the SGSOC project area, Southwest region, Cameroon. World Wide Fund for Nature, Germany, and Greenpeace International.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 25/10/2021