Campo Ma'an National Park
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Campo Ma'an National Park.
- It has been estimated that 1,472 great apes occur in the site.
- The great ape population trend is stable.
- The site has a total size of 2,641 km².
- Large infrastructure projects, extractives and agro-industries are putting enormous pressure on the park.
- Conservation activities have focused on patrolling the area and habituation of gorillas to strengthen the potential for ecotourism.
Site characteristics
Established in 2000, Campo Ma'an National Park is located in southwestern Cameroon, bordering Equatorial Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The vegetation consists largely of coastal evergreen rainforest. Several species of plants have beeen recently discovered, which may be endemic (BirdLife International 2020). In addition to gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), other mammals found in the park include forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), and several species of primates, including mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), and black colobus (Colobus satanas). The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) also occurs in the western part of the park. More than 165 species of fish have been recorded, of which four are endemic to Campo Ma'an. The park is also rich in reptiles (122 species recorded), and birds (200 species recorded in the site, and 100 species recorded in adjacent areas; BirdLife International 2020). The park was designated as an Important Bird Area in 2001 (BirdLife International 2020). Campo Ma'an National Park is surrounded by a buffer zone of several forest units called UTOs (Unités Techniques Opérationelles), where commercial logging takes place (BirdLife International 2020).
Table 1. Basic site information for Campo Ma'an National Park
| Area | 2,641 km² |
| Coordinates | 2.389597 N, 10.206030 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, marshes |
Ape status
INSERT PARAGRAPH(S)
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Campo Ma'an 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 gorilla gorilla | 1997-2000 | 0.20 | Campo forest | Line transects (Distance) | Matthews & Matthews 2004 | ||||
| Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 1997-2000 | 0.63-0.78 | Campo forest | Line transects (Distance) | Matthews & Matthews 2004 | ||||
| Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 1997-2000 | 0.8-1.0 | Ma'an forest | Line transects (Distance) | Matthews & Matthews 2004 | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 1997-2000 | Ma'an forest | Line transects (Distance) | Matthews & Matthews 2004 | Gorilla density was too low to allow an estimation. | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla & Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2008 | 1,039 | Campo Ma'an National Park | Line transects (Distance) | N'Goran 2017 | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla & Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2014 | 1,472 | Campo Ma'an National Park | Line transects (Distance) | N'Goran 2017 |
Threats
Areas immediately surrounding the park are being, or have been, logged (BirdLife International 2020). Large infrastructure projects, extractives and agro-industries are putting enormous pressure on the park. They include the Kribi industrial port complex, the Memve’ele Hydropower Dam, the Mount Mammelles iron ore exploration project, the rubber plantation of Hévécam and SOCAPALM oil palm plantations, and the construction of a railway terminal to transport iron ore to the Kribi seaport (WWF 2018).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Campo Ma'an 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 | Present, but threat severity is unknown | In 2008, 1.05 hunting signs/km. In 2014, 0.44 sign/km (N'Goran 2017). | Hunting pressure is relatively high, but it decreased by more than 50% from 2008 to 2014 (N'Goran 2017). Evidence of poaching of gorillas (BirdLife International 2020). | Ongoing (2017) |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Absent | ||||
| 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 Campo Ma'an 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 | Park guards conduct regular patrols to halt poaching and human encroachment (WWF). | 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 | 12.1. Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers etc. | WWF supports a gorilla habituation programme. | Ongoing |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Campo Ma'an National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Campo Ma'an National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Campo Ma'an complex. Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/11/2020.
Matthews A, Matthews A. Survey of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in Southwestern Cameroon. Primates. 2004;45:15–24
N'Goran, K.P. (2017). Summary Report on WWF BIOMONITORING activities from 2014 to 2016 Status of Forest Elephant and Great Apes in Central Africa Priority Sites.
WWF. (2018). The saving of Campo Ma’an National Park. Retrieved from: https://wwf.panda.org/?325912/The-saving-of-Campo-Maan-National-Park
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 06/12/2020