Itombwe Nature Reserve
Central Africa > Democratic Republic of the Congo > Itombwe Nature Reserve
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) are present in Itombwe Nature Reserve.
- In 2009 the estimated chimpanzee population was approximately 6,302 individuals; the gorilla population size is unknown.
- The great ape population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 6,000 km².
- Key threats to great apes are illegal hunting and logging in connection to illegal mining operations by armed groups.
- Conservation activities have focused on anti-poaching patrols, monitoring with SMART, and sensitization campaigns.
Site characteristics
Itombwe Nature Reserve is situated in the southern part of the Maiko-Taina-Kahuzi-Biega landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The site consists of a large forest block in the Albertine Rift, an important area for great apes. Several peaks of the Itombwe Massif, where the reserve is located, rise above 3,000 m, the highest being Mt. Mohi at 3,475 m (BirdLife International 2020). Itombwe Nature Reserve is also an Endemic Bird Area, an Important Bird Area (563 species have been recorded), an Alliance for Zero Extinction site and a Key Biodiversity Area under the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). Notably, the Critically Endangered Grauer's gorilla is present at the site. Other mammals of conservation concern present at the site include eastern chimpanzees and forest elephants. At least 21 amphibian taxa have been recorded at the reserve above 1,500 m, most of which have a limited distribution and six are endemic (BirdLife International 2020).
Table 1. Basic site information for Itombwe Nature Reserve
| Area | 6,000 km² |
| Coordinates | -3.672696 S, 28.136638 E |
| Designation | Nature Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Itombwe Nature Reserve
| 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 schweinfurthii | 2009 | 6,302 | 0.63 | Itombwe Massif, 10,000 sq. km | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) | Plumptre et al. 2010 |
Threats
Destruction and degradation of the forest followed by large-scale mining has been a key threat at Itombwe. The region has been impacted by armed conflict among refugees who fled the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). Large numbers of people settled and converted the forest for agriculture and pasture land. The discovery of valuable minerals such as coltan and cassiterite exacerbated the situation, as armed groups in the region took control of various parts of the massif and fight for these resources (WWF).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Itombwe Nature Reserve
| 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 | High | Mining operations by armed groups (see item 6; [https://www.wwf-congobasin.org/where_we_work/democratic_republic_of_congo/itombwe/#:~:text=Despite%20being%20relatively%20isolated%2C%20the,and%20pressure%20from%20human%20populations. WWF). | Ongoing | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Bushmeat hunting ([https://www.wwf-congobasin.org/where_we_work/democratic_republic_of_congo/itombwe/#:~:text=Despite%20being%20relatively%20isolated%2C%20the,and%20pressure%20from%20human%20populations. WWF). | Ongoing | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Artisanal logging ([https://www.wwf-congobasin.org/where_we_work/democratic_republic_of_congo/itombwe/#:~:text=Despite%20being%20relatively%20isolated%2C%20the,and%20pressure%20from%20human%20populations. WWF). | Ongoing | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | High | Surveys conducted by the WCS during 2003–2006 found increasing threats and the presence of several armed groups controlling various parts of the Itombwe Massif (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 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 | 12.1 Other threat | High | Habitat fragmentation (Maldonado et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Itombwe Nature Reserve
| 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 | ICCN eco-guards carry out patrols (Berggorilla & Regenwald). | Ongoing |
| 5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols | Data collected during patrols are stored and analysed by the guards with support from WCS and WWF using the SMART tool (Berggorilla & Regenwald). | 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 | ICCN teams in collaboration with NGO partners are carrying out sensitization campaigns among the communities to ensure their participation in the conservation of the reserve (Berggorilla & Regenwald). | Ongoing |
| 11. Habitat Protection | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The site is designated as a Nature Reserve. | Ongoing |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
The Minister for the Environment in Kishasa declared that a reserve would be established in Itombwe Massif, and the gazettement of the reserve was written in October 2006. However, no boundaries were delimited in the gazettement document, and this created anger and confusion amongst the communities of the Itombwe Massif, as they had not been consulted about the reserve (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). Approximately 675,800 people live in or around the Itombwe Reserve (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). A long process of participatory mapping of the boundaries began in 2010 with Africapacity, Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, WCS and WWF staff participating in consultations with each of 550 villages within and around the proposed boundary of the reserve (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019). This process was completed in 2014, and in 2016 the governor of South Kivu signed the official designation of the boundaries of Itombwe Natural Reserve (Kujirakwinja et al. 2019).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Itombwe Nature Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Establishment of the protected area without consulting local communities. | Kujirakwinja et al. 2019 |
Research activities
Plumptre, A.J., Kujirakwinja, D., Ayebare, S., Mitamba, G., Muhindo, E., & Twendilonge, A. (2013). Plan de Zonage de la Réserve Naturelle d'Itombwe.Unpublished Report to Wildlife Conservation Society.
Population‐level assessment of genetic diversity and habitat fragmentation in critically endangered Grauer's gorillas
The socio-economics of artisanal mining and bushmeat hunting around protected areas: Kahuzi–Biega National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Cows and guns. Cattle-related conflict and armed violence in Fizi and Itombwe, eastern DR Congo
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Itombwe Nature Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Itombwe Mountains. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/12/2020.
Kujirakwinja, D., Plumptre, A., Twendilonge, A., Mitamba, G., Mubalama, L., Wasso, J., . . . Tshombe, R. (2019). Establishing the Itombwe Natural Reserve: Science, participatory consultations and zoning. Oryx, 53(1), 49-57. doi:10.1017/S0030605317001478
Plumptre, A.J., Rose, R., Nangendo, G., Williamson, E.A., Didier, K., Hart, J., Mulindahabi, F., Hicks, C., Griffin, B., Ogawa, H., Nixon, S., Pintea, L., Vosper, A., McClennan, M., Amsini, F., McNeilage, A., Makana, J.R., Kanamori, M., Hernandez, A., Piel, A., Stewart, F., Moore, J., Zamma, K., Nakamura, M., Kamenya, S., Idani, G., Sakamaki, T., Yoshikawa, M., Greer, D., Tranquilli, S., Beyers, R., Furuichi, T., Hashimoto, C. and Bennett, E. (2010). Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2010–2020. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland. 52pp.
Maldonado, O., Aveling, C., Cox, D., Nixon, S., Nishuli, R., Merlo, D., Pintea, L. & Williamson, E.A. (2012). Grauer’s Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (Kahuzi-Biega, Maiko, Tayna and Itombwe Landscape): Conservation Action Plan 2012–2022. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation & Tourism, Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature & the Jane Goodall Institute. 66pp.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 08/01/2021