Jaibui Island
Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Jaibui Island.
- It has been estimated that 3 (CI: 2-6) individuals occur in the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is stable.
- The site has a total size of 12.5 km².
- Chimpanzees are mainly threatened by the extraction of natural resources on the island.
- Conservation activities have focused on biomonitoring and environmental education.
Site characteristics
The Jaibui Island is located in Pujehun District – Southern Sierra Leone (UTM 29, X: 238199; Y: 823787); its closest seven human communities, Boma, Sahun, Kambama, Gbengama, Baoma Ngeya, Sembenhun and Taninahun, use the island‘s resources. Over the time, the island has been owned and managed by the community members for the harvesting of local resources to meet their livelihood demands, until 2017 when Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS) entered into an agreement for co-management of the Island. Jaibui Island has a total area of 12.5 sq.km, surrounded by the Moa River, and shares its land borders with the Gola Rainforest National Park in the east and Tiwai Island in the north. The two adjacent forest blocks are extensions of the Upper Guinea Forest considered one of the 35 global most important biodiversity hotspots (Klop et al., 2009). The most recent camera trap study carried out in Jaibui Island recorded 35 mammals, 11 birds and one reptile (Tortoise) species (Garriga 2019).
Table 1. Basic site information for Jaibui Island
| Area | 12.5 km² |
| Coordinates | 7.465173, -11.369034 |
| Designation | Community Forest |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest |
Ape status
For the two surveys, results show a stable population thriving within the area. However, in 2019, alongside the transect survey, we did a camera trap survey, and we recorded a group of six chimpanzees, confirming the density estimate (Garriga & Kanneh 2022).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Jaibui Island
| 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 verus | 2019 | 2 (1-6) | 0.22 (0.077-0.638) | 1.7 | 9 km2 of area surveyed out of the total island area of 12.5 km2 | Line transects (Distance) | Garriga 2019 | The transects' lengths vary according to the shape of the study area. Transects were placed parallel to each other from west to east of the island. | |
| Pan troglodytes verus | 2022 | 3 (2-6) | 0.25 (0.13- 0.49) | 1.87 | 12.5 km2 | Line transects (Distance) | Kanneh 2022 | Same transects were walked as in 2019 following the same protocols |
Threats
The community situated close to the island presents a major threat to the biological resources thriving within the Island. The adjacent local communities with limited livelihood opportunities rely on artisanal mining and fishing both for commercial and subsistence uses as well as the extraction of NTFPs from the island at different times of the year to meet their livelihood demands. These and some other underlying issues pose threats to the conservation of chimpanzees and other wildlife of the Jaibui Island (Garriga & Kanneh 2022).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Jaibui Island
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Housing & urban areas | Present, but threat severity unknown | Several settlements around the Island and direct access to resources from the island (Garriga 2019; Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | Present, but threat severity unknown | Artisanal mining (mining pits and camps) along the shore and certain core areas of the island (Garriga & Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity unknown | Hunting using gun shell, snare trap, and hunting trail (Garriga & Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Present, but threat severity unknown | Collection of NTFPs from the island (Garriga & Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | ||
| 5.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Present, but threat severity unknown | Fishing camps and fisher men mostly during the dry season (Garriga & Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | 6.3 Work & other activities | Present, but threat severity unknown | Old logging sites (Garriga & Kanneh 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 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
Conservation activities in the site include chimpanzee surveys using systematically placed line transects throughout the Island, biomonitoring using the SMART and CyberTracker applications, environmental education and sensitization in schools on the island communities, and presence of a research station (two bedroom structure with a general meeting space furnished with tables and chairs) (Garriga & Kanneh 2022).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Jaibui Island
| 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 | Law enforcement through active forest patrols by four community bio-monitors. Forest patrols through bio-monitoring (Garriga 2019). | Ongoing (2019) |
| 5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols | Active bio-monitoring. Since 2019 to date there have been well-planned and active biomonitoring activities undertaken by four TCS community bio-monitors. The bio-monitoring employs specialized software programs (SMART, CyberTracker and Gaia GPS) installed on android mobile devices for data collection on wildlife and human activities presence and distribution within the park (Garriga 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 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 | 10.1. Educate local communities about primates and sustainable use | Conservation education in selected schools of the park communities. TCS has extended its education program in the schools working with the schools kids and teacher coordinators to fully implement its Tacugama Kids Environmental Education Program (TKEEP) workbook at the beginning/end of every school year since 2020 (Garriga 2019). | Ongoing (2019) |
| 10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management | Training for bio-monitors, TKEEP teachers coordinators and local farmers. The community bio-monitors periodically received training on data collection procedures on wildlife and human signs and activities, and forest patrol techniques. Likewise the TKEEP Teachers coordinators on education following the TKEEP work book. And the farmers on sustainable agricultural practices (Garriga 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 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) | Agriculture: support with agricultural inputs (groundnut and rice seeds and tools) for cultivation. Livelihood support to the island communities in the form of agricultural seeds, tools and sustainable cultivation practices training to farmers groups. The community members who practise farming have been formed into small groups (farmer groups) and are supported with the required agriculture inputs every year since 2019. | Ongoing (2019) |
Challenges
Lack of long term conservation funds to effectively manage the area; high demand and expectation from community members for their livelihoods from conservation intervention (Garriga & Kanneh 2022).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Jaibui Island
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of financial means | Garriga & Kanneh 2022 |
Research activities
There is urgent research needed on certain areas of species conservation that can sustain and complement ongoing conservation initiatives and activities for the successful conservation of chimpanzees within Jaibui Island and neighbouring forest blocks. Strengthening collaboration with neighbouring protected area management (Tiwai Island and Gola Forest) of the Jaibui Island conservation area and assessing the seasonal movement patterns of chimpanzees among the three forest blocks (Tiwai, Jaibui and Gola) is also important, as well as culture and behavioural studies of chimpanzee within the Island, and interspecific association between chimpanzee and other primate groups occupying the Island considering food availability on the Island and habitat suitability as determinant parameters (Garriga & Kanneh 2022).
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Jaibui Island
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
References
Garriga R.M., 2019. Setting up a biological field station and building capacity for research and conservation activities. Report, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown Sierra Leone, 31p.
Garriga, R. & Kanneh, A. (2022, October 20-21). Sierra Leone. Regional workshop on IUCN APES wiki, Monrovia, Liberia.
Kanneh B.A., 2022. Impact of human activities on the abundance and distribution of three threatened primates in Jaibui Island, Sierra Leone: significance for ecotourism and livelihood. Masters dissertation, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire, 93p.
Klop, E., Lindsell, J. A. and Siaka, A. 2008. Biodiversity of Gola Forest, Sierra Leone. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, Government of Sierra Leone
Page completed by: Rosa M. Garriga & Ambrose Bockarie Kanneh Date: 19/12/2022