Semuliki National Park
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Semuliki National Park.
- It has been estimated that 50 (CI: 43-57) individuals occur in the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 220 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are habitat encroachment, poaching, and illegal harvest of forest products.
- Conservation activities are not reported.
Site characteristics
Semuliki National Park is located in western Uganda, in the Albertine Rift valley, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Virunga National Park. The Lamia and Semliki rivers bound the park to the west and north, and part of its southern boundary is formed by the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo road (BirdLife International 2021). The park is almost entirely covered by forest, which is dominated by the tree species Cynometra alexandrii. As the site is cut off from the rest of East Africa by the Rwenzori massif, the forest is an easterly extension of the Ituri forest in northeastern DRC, and its flora and fauna show similarities with the forest in the Congo Basin (Sever 2021). The park was gazetted as Semliki Forest Reserve in 1932 and as National Park in 1993. The site is very rich in bird diversity and has been an Important Bird Area since 2001 (BirdLife International 2021). The park fauna is very rich and includes eight species of primates, 51 species of forest swallowtail and Charaxes butterflies (BirdLife International 2021).
Table 1. Basic site information for Semuliki National Park
| Area | 220 km² |
| Coordinates | 0.828178 N, 30.034272 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Semuliki 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 schweinfurthii | 2001 | 50.15 (43-57) | 0.21 | Semuliki National Park | Line transects (Distance) | Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003 | Standing crop nest counts. Abundance is the number of nest building chimps. |
Threats
Main threats to chimpanzees include agricultural encroachment, poaching, and illegal harvest of forest products. The growing human population density in the county where the park is located (Bwamba) poses a big problem, as it is linked to a growing demand for agricultural land (BirdLife International 2021). In the 1970s and early 1980s approximately 30% of the original forest cover was cleared for agriculture and settlement (BirdLife International 2020). The encroachers were evicted in 1988 and 1990, allowing the forest to slowly regenerate (BirdLife International 2021).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Semuliki National Park
| 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 | Encroachment due to demand for agricultural land (BirdLife International 2021, Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003). | Ongoing (2021) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Present, but threat severity unknown | Roads (Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003). | Ongoing (2003) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity unknown | Illegal harvest of forest products, including medicinal plants, bush ropes, poles, and rattan (BirdLife International 2021, Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003). | Ongoing (2003) | |
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Present, but threat severity unknown | Hunting traps (BirdLife International 2021, Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003). | Ongoing (2003) | ||
| 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
Table 4. Conservation activities in Semuliki 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 | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The site is designated as a national park. | Ongoing |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | 13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | Chimpanzee trekking and other activities are offered at the site (AfricaSky). | Ongoing |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Semuliki National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
A study that produced a historical base-line model of chimpanzee metapopulation dynamics in eastern DRC and northwestern Uganda found that chimpanzees in Semuliki National Park are genetically closer to the populations in Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve and Itwara Forest Reserve than to the population in Rwenzori National Park (Rich et al. 2020).
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Semuliki National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Semliki National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/10/2021.
Sever, Z. (2021). Searching for the okapi (Okapia johnstoni) in Semuliki National Park, Uganda. African Journal of Ecology, 59(1), 286-292.
Rich, A. M., Wasserman, M. D., Hunt, K. D., & Kaestle, F. A. (2020). Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) population spans multiple protected areas in the Albertine Rift. Folia Primatologica, 91(6), 595-609.
Plumptre A.J., Cox, D. & Mugume, S. (2003) The Status of Chimpanzees in Uganda. Albertine Rift Technical Report Series No. 2. Wildlife Conservation Society
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 29/10/2021