Nyungwe Forest National Park
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
- The population size is unknown.
- The population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 1,019 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are illegal mining and hunting, and fires.
- Conservation activities have focused on running ecotourism projects.
Site characteristics
Nyungwe Forest National Park comprises 1,019 km² of evergreen mountainous rainforest in the southwest of Rwanda, situated between Lake Kivu to the north and Kibira National Park in Burundi to the south (BirdLife International 2020). Established in 2004, the park has helped boost the tourism industry Rwanda. The park is well known for chimpanzee trekking and has two habituated chimpanzee groups (Nyungwe Forest National Park). Nyungwe is divided by a north-south line of mountains that reach 2,900 m and which form part of the Congo–Nile watershed (BirdLife International 2020). With at least 275 bird species, the park is a designated Important Bird Area (BirdLife International 2020). In addition to chimpanzees, other primate species occurring at the site include Ruwenzori colobus (Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii), L'Hoest's monkey (Cercopithecus l’hoesti), Hamlyn's monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni), golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), and red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius). Red-tailed monkeys, known to only occur at Nyungwe in Rwanda, are nearly locally extinct due to logging of lower-altitude forests (BirdLife International 2020). The park is also home to several Albertine Rift endemics (BirdLife International 2020).
Table 1. Basic site information for Nyungwe Forest National Park
| Area | 1,019 km² |
| Coordinates | -2.508690 S, 29.284232 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
Ape status
Two habituated communities reside in the park; the Mayebe community (50–60 individuals) and the Cyamudongo community (35–40 individuals; Moore et al. 2018).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Nyungwe Forest 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 |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Nyungwe Forest National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Evidence of gold mining (Plumptre et al. 2002). | Ongoing (2002) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Medium | Evidence of poaching (Plumptre et al. 2002). | Ongoing (2002) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Fires often caused by people entering the forest to smoke bees from wild hives to obtain honey (Plumptre et al. 2002). | Ongoing (2002) | |
| 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 Nyungwe Forest 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 was declared a National Park in 2004. | Ongoing |
| 12. Species Management | 12.1. Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers etc. | Chimpanzee trekking, with habituated groups (Nyungwe Forest National Park). | Ongoing |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | 13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | The site is a major tourist attraction and several activities are offered, e.g., chimpanzee and colobus monkey trekking, canopy walks, safari tours (Nyungwe Forest National Park). | Ongoing |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Nyungwe Forest National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Valuing visitor services and access to protected areas: The case of Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda
Chimpanzee feeding ecology and fallback food use in the montane forest of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
The Privatization of the Nyungwe National Park Buffer Zone and Implications for Adjacent Communities
Shifting through the forest: home range, movement patterns, and diet of the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
Forest Dependency and its Implications for Protected Areas Management: A Case Study From the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Nyungwe Forest National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
African Parks Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park
WCS Rwanda
Relevant datasets
References
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Nyungwe National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 09/12/2020.
Andrew J. Plumptre, Michel Masozera, Peter J. Fashing, Alastair McNeilage, Corneille Ewango, Beth A. Kaplin, and Innocent Liengola. (2002). Biodiversity Surveys of the Nyungwe Forest Reserve In S.W. Rwanda. WCS Working Papers No 18. Available for download from http://www.wcs.org/science/
Moore, JF, Mulindahabi, F, Gatorano, G, et al. (2018). Shifting through the forest: Home range, movement patterns, and diet of the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. Am J Primatol, 80:e22897. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22897
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date:14/01/2021