Malebo
Summary
- Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are present in Malebo.
- It has been estimated that 39 (CI: 30-53) individuals occur in the site.
- The bonobo population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 1044 km².
- Key threats to bonobos are hunting and habitat encroachment.
- Conservation activities have focused on habituation of bonobos for ecotourism, enforcing local taboos about bushmeat, and employing local villagers as bonobo trackers.
Site characteristics
The site is located in the Lake Tumba landscape in western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The region is characterized as a forest-savanna ecosystem, with altitudes ranging from 300 to 700 m (Serckx et al. 2014). The types of forests found at the site include re-colonizing Uapaca sp., old secondary, mixed mature, old growth mono-dominant, riverine gallery and Marantaceae forests (Serckx et al. 2014).The region is also characterized by flood episodes during which water covers ca. 65% of the forest (Inogwabini et al. 2013).
Table 1. Basic site information for Malebo
| Area | 1044 km² |
| Coordinates | -2.588389 S, 16.469250 E |
| Designation | Unclassified |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical swamp forest, savanna, subtropical/tropical heavily degraded former forest |
Ape status
In 2005, the presence of a bonobo population in the region was documented by the local NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour and by an extensive survey conducted by the WWF (Serckx et al. 2014). In 2007, a habituation program started. The bonobo population seems to be made up of two communities, inhabiting the Nkala and Mpelu forests (Serckx et al. 2014).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Malebo
| 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 paniscus | 2011-2013 | 39 (30-53) | 0.41 (0.32-0.56) | Malebo region (93.84 sq. km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2011 | 31 (15-61) | 0.56 (0.27-1.13) | Mpelu forest in Malebo (54.26 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2012 | 11 (7-19) | 0.21 (0.12-0.35) | Mpelu forest in Malebo (54.26 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2013 | 17 (11-28) | 0.32 (0.19-0.53) | Mpelu forest in Malebo (54.26 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2011 | 20 (12-36) | 0.63 (0.36-1.12) | Nkala forest in Malebo (32.45 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2012 | 16 (11-25) | 0.51 (0.32-0.79) | Nkala forest in Malebo (32.45 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 | |||
| Pan paniscus | 2013 | 17 (9-35) | 0.55 (0.28-1.07) | Nkala forest in Malebo (32.45 sq.km) | Line transects (Distance) | Sercx et al. 2014 |
Threats
Bonobos are largely respected in the area, and local communities refrain from hunting or eating them, as they believe them to be their ancestors (Inogwabini et al. 2007). However, as other groups and logging companies have moved into the area, this taboo has become degraded; thus, hunting and agricultural expansion now threatens bonobos and other wildlife (SynchronicityEarth).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Malebo
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Present, but threat severity unknown | During a survey conducted between 2011-2013, six villages and twelve farms were directly adjacent to the forest and plantations were located inside the forest (Serckx et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
| 2.3 Livestock farming & ranching | Present, but threat severity unknown | Cattle ranching in parts of the savanna patches (Serckx et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity unknown | Hunting has grown since new people and logging companies have moved into the area (SynchronicityEarth). | Ongoing | |
| 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 began working on bonobo conservation in the western part of the country in 2005. To protect the bonobos in this natural reserve, WWF has developed an ecotourism initiative called Picbou (Projet Intégré de Conservation des bonobos de l’ouest) since 2006. The project is implemented in collaboration with the local NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour (MMT). Three groups of bonobos have been habituated in the region to learn more about their socio-ecology and develop more effective conservation strategies. Simultaneously, the ecotourism project aims to bring income to the villagers in order to encourage them preserve their natural heritage (WWF 2017).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Malebo
| 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 | 5.13. Strengthen/support/re-install traditions/taboos that forbid the killing of primates | To protect the bonobos, the NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour (MMT) has established an awareness raising programme in local villages to revive the bushmeat taboo (SynchronicityEarth). | 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 | 10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management | MMT employed local villagers as bonobo trackers (SynchronicityEarth). | Ongoing |
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | 12.1. Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers etc. | Three groups of bonobos have been habituated in the region to learn more about their socio-ecology to develop more effective and adapted conservation strategies (WWF 2017). | Ongoing |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | 13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | WWF has developed an ecotourism initiative named Picbou (Projet Intégré de Conservation des bonobos de l’ouest) since 2006. Picbou is implemented in collaboration with MMT (WWF 2017). | Ongoing |
Challenges
WWF began working on bonobo conservation in the western part of the country in 2005. To protect the bonobos in this natural reserve, WWF has developed an ecotourism initiative called Picbou (Projet Intégré de Conservation des bonobos de l’ouest) since 2006. The project is implemented in collaboration with the local NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour (MMT). Three groups of bonobos have been habituated in the region to learn more about their socio-ecology and develop more effective conservation strategies. Simultaneously, the ecotourism project aims to bring income to the villagers in order to encourage them preserve their natural heritage (WWF 2017).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Malebo
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Malebo
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Inogwabini, B. I., Mbende, L., Bakanza, A., & Bokika, J. (2013). Crop damage done by elephants in Malebo Region, Democratic Republic of Congo. Pachyderm, 54, 59-65.
Inogwabini, B., Matungila, B., Mbende, L., Abokome, M., & Tshimanga, T. (2007). Great apes in the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo: Newly described populations. Oryx, 41(4), 532-538. doi:10.1017/S0030605307414120
Serckx, A., Huynen, M. C., Bastin, J. F., Hambuckers, A., Beudels-Jamar, R. C., Vimond, M., ... & Kühl, H. S. (2014). Nest grouping patterns of bonobos (Pan paniscus) in relation to fruit availability in a forest-savannah mosaic. PloS one, 9(4), e93742.
WWF. (2017).DRC: Malebo site managed by WWF in the top 100 sustainable tourism destinations of 2017 in the World. Online: https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?314614/DRC%2DMalebo%2Dsite%2Dmanaged%2Dby%2DWWF%2Din%2Dthe%2Dtop%2D100%2Dsustainable%2Dtourism%2Ddestinations%2Dof%2D2017%2Din%2Dthe%2DWorld
'Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date:29/10/2021