Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Central Africa > Democratic Republic of the Congo > Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) & Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) are present in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
- The great ape population size is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 6,000 km².
- Poaching is a key threat to great apes at the site.
- Conservation activities have not been documented.
- Kahuzi-Biega National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.
Site characteristics
Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) is located in eastern DR Congo, close to the borders wth Rwanda and Burundi. KBNP holds an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, making it one of the most important sites in the Albertine Rift Valley. The park is named after Mounts Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Biega (2,790 m). In 1937, the site was first established as the Zoological Reserve of Mt. Kahuzi, covering 750 sq. km. In 1970, Kahuzi-Biega National Park was created, initially covering 600 sq. km; in 1975 the area was extended to 6,000 sq. km. Since then, the park comprises two sectors, the low and high altitude sectors, which are linked by an ecological corridor (Pole Pole Foundation). In 1980, the site was declared a [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/ UNESCO World Heritage site. KBNP is special in that the faunal and floral transition from low to highlands can be observed. With at least 1,178 plant species recorded in the highland sector, KBNP was designated as a centre of diversity for plants by IUCN and WWF in 1994 ([https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/ UNESCO). KBNP is home to a large proportion of the endangered Grauer's gorilla population; in fact, KBNP and Maiko National Park support the most important Grauer's gorilla populations (Plumptre et al. 2015).
Table 1. Basic site information for Kahuzi-Biega National Park
| Area | 6,000 km² |
| Coordinates | |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
While the gorilla population in the KBNP highland sector is showing an increase, the global Grauer’s gorilla population declined across its range by 77% to 93% over the last 20 years due to civil war, with an estimated 3,800 individuals remaining in the wild (Spira et al. 2016; Plumptre et al. 2015).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Kahuzi-Biega 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla beringei graueri | 1978-1979 | 223 | 0.37 | Kahuzi-Biega National Park | Full count | Murnyak 1981 | |||
| Gorilla beringei graueri | 1990 | 258 | Kahuzi-Biega National Park | Full count | Yamagiwa et al. 1993 | ||||
| Gorilla beringei graueri | 2015 | 213 minimum | KBNP highland sector | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) | Spira et al. 2016 |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Kahuzi-Biega 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 | High | Artisanal mining. Unregulated extraction of gold, tin (cassiterite), tungsten, diamond and coltan. Numerous active mining sites are present in the park. Many mines are controlled by armed militia (Plumptre et al. 2015; Spira et al. 2016). | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | High levels of subsistence hunting and bushmeat extraction, facilitated by the presence of armed militia who control mines at the site (Plumptre et al. 2015). | Ongoing (2015) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | High | Breakdown of government control with the onset of civil war in 1996. The Congolese wildlife authority lost control of the park; armed groups settled within its boundaries and unregulated extraction of minerals continue to fuel civil conflict in the region (Plumptre et al. 2015). | 1996-2003 | |
| 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 |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Kahuzi-Biega 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 | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
The most urgent need is to demilitarize artisanal mines in and around KBNP to reduce poaching and enable the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation, ICCN, to enforce conservation laws (Spira et al. 2016).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Kahuzi-Biega National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Civil unrest | Plumptre et al. 2015 |
| Lack of law enforcement | Plumptre et al. 2015 |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Kahuzi-Biega National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
UNESCO World Heritage - Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Relevant datasets
References
Spira, C., Mitamba, G., Kirkby, A., Kalikunguba, T., Nishuli, R. and Plumptre,A. (2016) Grauer’s Gorilla Numbers Increasing in Kahuzi-Biega National Park Highlands: 2015 Census in Tshivanga Sector. Unpublished report by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Plumptre, A.J., Nixon, S., Critchlow, R., Vieilledent, G., Nishuli, R., Kirkby, A., Williamson, E.A., Hall, J.S. & Kujirakwinja, D. (2015). Status of Grauer’s gorilla and chimpanzees in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Historical and current distribution and abundance. Unpublished report to Arcus Foundation, USAID and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Murnyak, D. F. (1981). Censusing the gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Biol. Conservl, 21, 163-76.
Yamagiwa, J., Mwanza, N., Spangenberg, A., Maruhashi, T., Yumoto, T., Fischer, A. & Steinhauer, B.B. (1993). A census of the eastern lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla graueri in Kahuzi-Biega National Park with reference to mountain gorillas G.g. beringei in the Virunga region, Zaire. Biol Conserv 64, 83–89.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 06/12/2020