Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
West Africa > Sierra Leone > Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve.
- The population size is unknown.
- The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
- This site has a total size of 212.1 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are hunting, mining, and agricultural encroachment.
- Information on conservation activities is lacking.
Site characteristics
The reserve is located in central Sierra Leone and is a watershed for some of the country’s main rivers (Brncic et al. 2010). In 1955 it was gazetted as a forest reserve, and in 1973 it was upgraded to non-hunting forest reserve (Brncic et al. 2010). The site is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) with at least 115 bird species, of which six are globally threatened species, e.g., white-necked rockfowl, Picathartes gymnocephalus (BirdLife International 2019). In addition to the western chimpanzee, other primates inhabiting the site include western red colobus (Piliocolobus badius), Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana), king colobus (Colobus polykomos), and sootey mangabey (Cercocebus atys). Elephants (Loxodonta africana) are also present in the area; the population is likely to be small (Brncic et al. 2010).
Table 1. Basic site information for Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| Area | 212.1 km² |
| Coordinates | 8.49, -11.65 |
| Designation | Non-hunting Forest Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, arable land |
Ape status
In 2008, the CEMMATS Group Ltd conducted an environmental and social assessment at the site for the mining of concessions areas for Cluff Gold (Brncic et al. 2010). Chimpanzee presence was confirmed, but further information is not available. As part of a nationwide survey, Kangari Hills was surveyed in 2010, and only signs of chimpanzees were encountered (Brncic et al. 2010).
Table 2. Great ape population estimates in Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| 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 | 2010 | Present | Kangari Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve | Line transects (Distance) and index survey | Survey effort: 15.84 km | Nests and feeding remains encountered during reconnaissance walk |
Threats
Illegal artisanal gold mining activities are present throughout the reserve, and southwest to it, industrial-scale mining by the British company Cluff Gold commenced in 2013 (CILSS 2016; Brncic et al. 2010). Cluff Gold claims to have found 3 million ounces of gold in the area, which puts a lot of pressure on the reserve, as the demand for revenue is immense (CILSS 2016). Signs of hunting are also widespread in the reserve (Brncic et al. 2010), as well as agricultural encroachment coming from the north, and logging for charcoal production are also threats in the area (CILSS 2016).
Table 3. Threats to great apes in Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Housing & urban areas | Present | Villages in the northern part of the reserve (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) | |
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Present | Agricultural encroachment to the north of the reserve (CILSS 2016) | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | High | Artisanal gold mining within the reserve and industrial-scale mining bordering the reserve (Brncic et al. 2010, CILSS 2016) | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Present | Logging roads entering the southern part of the reserve (CILSS 2016) | Ongoing (2016) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Hunting signs found throughout the reserve during a chimpanzee survey (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Low | Trees cut and timber piles have been found in the reserve (Brncic et al. 2010). Wood is also harvested for charcoal production (CILSS 2016) | Ongoing (2010, 2016) | ||
| 6. Human intrusions & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | Present | Damage done by temporary settlement of rebels during civil war (Brncic et al. 2010) | 1991-2002 | |
| 7. Natural system modifications | Absent | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Absent | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
A project funded by the the Global Environmental Facility and implemented between 2010 and 2014 by the World Bank and Österreichische Bundesforste Consulting (ÖBf) in collaboration with the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) aimed to improve management of the site (The REDD Desk 2019). The CEMMAT Group also provided a number of measures for the site, including, demarcation of the boundaries, enforcing legislation against illegal mining, reforestation, and training staff (Brncic et al. 2010). However, detailed information on conservation activities at the site is not available. Given that the forest is relatively intact in the core of the reserve, it could be a potentially important place for chimpanzees and other wildlife in Sierra Leone, especially elephants. However, if hunting is not controlled, it will continue to be an empty forest. Serious protection efforts and rehabilitation of the reserve are needed before it can return to being an important site for biodiversity conservation in Sierra Leone.
Table 4. Conservation activities in Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| 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 intrusions & 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 strict nature reserve since 1973 (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
No information on research activities has been documented.
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Great ape behaviors reported for Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
References
Brncic, T.M., Amarasekaran,B. & McKenna,A. (2010) Final Report of the Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census Project. Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kangari Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/09/2019.
The REDD Desk (2019) Sierra Leone Biodiversity Conservation Project. Online: https://theredddesk.org/countries/initiatives/sierra-leone-biodiversity-conservation-project
CILSS (2016) Landscapes of West Africa: A Window On a Changing World. U. S. Geological Survey EROS 47914, 252nd St, Garretson, SD 57030, United States.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 22/10/2019