Boumba-Bek National Park
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Boumba-Bek National Park.
- It has been estimated that 4,470 great apes occur in the site.
- The great ape population trend is stable.
- The site has a total size of 2,389 km².
- Poaching is a key threat to great apes in Boumba-Bek National Park.
- Conservation activities have focused on anti-poaching patrols and community forests.
Site characteristics
Boumba-Bek National Park is located in the southeastern corner of Cameroon, bordering Nki National Park. The site is situated between the rivers Boumba and Bek (BirdLife International 2020). With 254 species recorded, the park was designated an Important Bird Area in 2001 (BirdLife International 2020). The site is known to be very important for forest elephants, central chimpanzees, and western lowland gorillas. The forest has never been logged and is used by small numbers of Baka people (BirdLife International 2020). However, elephant poaching at the site is a major problem and has led to drastic declines in the elephant numbers (N'Goran 2017).
Table 1. Basic site information for Boumba-Bek National Park
| Area | 2,389 km² |
| Coordinates | 2.986850 N, 14.856464 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands, subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls) |
Ape status
Although a relative and non-significant increase of the great ape population size was found between 2011 and 2015, the trend may be due to possible protocol errors or effects of conversion parameters (N'Goran et al. 2017).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Boumba-Bek 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 & Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2011 | 3,283 | Boumba-Bek National Park | Line transects (Distance) and reconnaissance walks | N'Goran 2017 | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla & Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2015 | 4,470 | Boumba-Bek National Park | Line transects (Distance) and reconnaissance walks | N'Goran 2017 | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla & Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2012 | 3,326 (2,530-4,373) | 1.60 (1.22-2.10) | Boumba-Bek National Park | Line transects (Distance) | CITES 2012 | Survey effort: 105.4 km | ||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 2012 | 2459 (1,771-3,416) | 1.18 (0.85-1.64) | Boumba-Bek National Park | Line transects (Distance) | CITES 2012 | Survey effort: 105.4 km | ||
| Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2012 | 925 (662-1,291) | 0.44 (0.32- 0.62) | Boumba-Bek National Park | Line transects (Distance) | CITES 2012 | Survey effort: 105.4 km |
Threats
Poaching is the main threat to wildlife at the site. Human sign encounter rates were found to be particularly high in the northern part of the park, which is closer to a public road (CITES 2012).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Boumba-Bek 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 | Hunting paths and snares were encountered in a 2012 survey of the park (CITES 2012). Elephants at Boumba-Bek have been more impacted by poaching. | Ongoing (2012) | |
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Extraction of bark, honey, or palm wine (CITES 2012). | Ongoing (2012) | ||
| 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
WWF and partners have supported the establishment of 42 community forests around Boumba Bek, Nki and Lobeke National Parks (WWF).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Boumba-Bek 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 are conducted (CITES 2012). | Ongoing (2012) |
| 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 | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The National Park was established in 2005 (CITES 2012). | Ongoing (2012) |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Boumba-Bek National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
There are 16 forest clearings (bais) in Boumba-Bek, with four currently monitored by MINFOF/WWF for large mammal activities (Stiles 2011). Maisels, F., Bechem, M., Blanc, J., Strindberg, S., Boafo, Y., Mahop, J.P., Mengamenya, A., Bariga, N., Luhunu, S., 2012a. Wildlife and Human Impact Survey in Boumba Bek National Park, Cameroon, p. 62. CITES MIKE. [https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20203324125 Ecological monitoring of the dynamics of large and medium mammals in the clearings of Boumba Bek National Park: case of the pondo clearing complex]
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Boumba-Bek National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
CITES. (2012). Monitoring of Illegal Trade in Ivory and Other Elephant Specimens. Wildlife and Human Impact Survey 201, Boumba Bek National Park, Republic of Cameroon. Geneva, Switzerland: CITES.
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Boumba - Bek. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 31/12/2020.
Stiles, D. (2011). Elephant Meat Trade in Central Africa: Summary report. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 103pp.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 08/01/2021