Odzala-Kokoua National Park
Central Africa > Republic of the Congo > Odzala-Kokoua National Park
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
- The population estimates are unknown.
- The population trends are unknown.
- The site has a total size of 13,500 km².
- Key threats to great apes are hunting and diseases (Ebola Virus Disease).
- Conservation activities have focused on eco-tourism, anti-poaching patrols, and supporting local communities.
- Established in 1935, the site is one of the oldest national parks in Africa and is part of the transboundary TRIDOM conservation landscape.
Site characteristics
Established in 1935, Odzala-Kokoua National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Africa (BirdLife International 2020). The site is exceptionally high in biodiversity and is home to over 100 mammal species and more than 440 bird species, making it an Important Bird Area (BirdLife International 2020; African Parks n.d.). More than 10,000 plant species can also be found in Odzala-Kokoua (African Parks n.d.). In addition to chimpanzees and gorillas, other noteworthy primate species found at the site include the black and white colobus, two species of mangabey, and the De Brazza’s monkey (African Parks n.d.). The park is also an important refuge for forest elephants, African forest buffalo, bongo, spotted hyena, and African golden cat. The site forms part of the Tri-National Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM) landscape, which is spread over three countries: Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, and Gabon (WWF n.d.).
Table 1. Basic site information for Odzala-Kokoua National Park
| Area | 13,500 km² |
| Coordinates | 1.318097 N, 14.845204 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical swamp forest, subtropical/tropical seasonally wet/flooded grassland |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Odzala-Kokoua 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 | Unknown | ||||||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | Unknown |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Odzala-Kokoua 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 | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | 50 tonnes of bushmeat were confiscated, and 14,500 snares were removed in 2019 (African Parks). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | 8.5 Viral/prion-induced diseases | High | In 2004, a large population of gorillas was affected by Ebola Virus Disease (Caillaud et al. 2006). | 2004 | |
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Unknown |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Odzala-Kokoua 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 | Rangers conduct regular anti-poaching patrols and enforce laws. In 2019 there were 94 rangers (African Parks). | 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 | Not reported | ||
| 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) | A mobile clinic visits communities at the periphery of the park to provide healthcare (African Parks n.d.; European Public Health 2016). | Ongoing (2016) |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | 13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | Tourist lodges managed by Odzala Discovery Camps (African Parks). | |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Other | As part of a livelihood diversification project, 40,000 cocoa seedlings have been planted outside the park and over 70 beehives have been installed (African Parks). | Ongoing |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Odzala-Kokoua National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Odzala-Kokoua National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
African Parks Odzala-Kokoua National Park
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320717321948
https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/95/4/882/888461
Relevant datasets
References
African Parks. (n.d.). Odzala-Kokoua. Retrieved from: https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/odzala-kokoua
BirdLife International. (2020). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Odzala National Park complex. Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org on 03/11/2020.
Caillaud, D., Levréro, F., Cristescu, R., Gatti, S., Dewas, M., Douadi, M., ... & Ménard, N. (2006). Gorilla susceptibility to Ebola virus: the cost of sociality. Current Biology, 16(13), R489-R491.
European Public Health (2016, April 24). Field Mission: Republic of the Congo. Retrieved from:http://www.europeanpublichealth.com/news-and-opinion/field-mission-republic-congo/
WWF. (n.d.). TRIDOM: Tri-National Dja-Odzala-Minkébé. Retrieved from: https://www.wwf-congobasin.org/where_we_work/tridom___tri_national_dja_odzala_minkebe/
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 02/12/2020