Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
Central Africa > Central African Republic > Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
Summary[edit]
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area.
- It has been estimated that 2,059 great apes occur in the site.
- The great ape population trend is stable.
- The site has a total size of 6,865 km².
- Key threats to great apes are hunting, logging, and increased risk of disease transmission from humans.
- Conservation activities have focused on anti-poaching patrols, eco-tourism, and supporting community health.
- The site forms part of the Sangha Trinational transboundary conservation complex
Site characteristics[edit]
Dzanga-Sangha is located in the southwestern corner of the Central African Republic, bordering Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, also found in the Central African Republic, and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo. The site forms part of the Sangha Trinational (TNS) transboundary conservation complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The TNS also encompasses Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. The Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Special reserve was established in 1990; in 2007 it was renamed the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area (DSPA). In 2019, the World Wide Fund for Nature signed a co-management agreement with the government (Dzanga-Sangha). The DSPA is formed by a mosaic of ecosystems, including rivers, marshlands and bais, which support rare and endangered species such as forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, sitatungas and bongos (Dzanga-Sangha).
Table 1. Basic site information for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
Area | 6,865 km² |
Coordinates | 3.173628 N, 16.296941 E |
Designation | Complex of Protected Areas |
Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, wetlands (inland) – bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands |
Ape status[edit]
From 2012 to 2016 the great ape population in the DSPA has remained stable (N'Goran 2017).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
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 troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 2012 | 2,310 | DSPA | Line transects (Distance) | N'Goran 2017 | ||||
Pan troglodytes troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 2016 | 2,059 | DSPA | Line transects (Distance) | N'Goran 2017 |
Threats[edit]
Table 3. Threats to apes in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
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 | Growing demand for bushmeat from distant urban areas (Dzanga-Sangha). | Ongoing | |
5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Since 2014, two companies have each been granted a logging and administrative permit. Logging by the two companies will be completed by 2020. At that point, their concession permit can be extended or renewed (Dzanga-Sangha). | Ongoing | ||
6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | 8.4 Problematic species/diseases of unknown origin | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Increased risk of disease transmission from humans (Dzanga-Sangha). | Ongoing | |
9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities[edit]
Table 4. Conservation activities in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
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 (Dzanga-Sangha). | 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 | Not reported | ||
11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
12. Species Management | 12.1. Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers etc. | Visitors have the privilege of tracking gorillas and mangabeys who are used to the presence of humans, thanks to the Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) (Dzanga-Sangha). | Ongoing |
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) | Support community health through a mobile unit and health care centers; supporting schools with money for teaching materials, teacher salaries, and student fees (Dzanga-Sangha]). | Ongoing |
13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | Eco-tourism project (Dzanga-Sangha). | Ongoing |
Challenges[edit]
Table 5. Challenges reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
Challenge | Source |
---|---|
Not reported |
Research activities[edit]
Documented behaviours[edit]
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
Behavior | Source |
---|---|
Not reported |
External links[edit]
Relevant datasets[edit]
References[edit]
N'Goran, K.P. (2017). Summary Report on WWF BIOMONITORING activities from 2014 to 2016 Status of Forest Elephant and Great Apes in Central Africa Priority Sites. Available online: https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF_CA_Biomonitoring_Report.pdf
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 30/12/2020