Rubi-Télé
Central Africa > Democratic Republic of the Congo > Rubi-Télé
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Rubi-Télé.
- It has been estimated that 545 individuals occur in the site.
- The population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 9,080 km².
- Key threats to great apes are bushmeat hunting, artisanal mining, and a national road.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
The Rubi-Télé hunting domain is located in the Bas-Uélé province, in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The site was one of the first protected areas in the Belgian Congo, established as a Hunting Reserve in 1930, five years after the creation of Virunga National Park (Mutombo et al. 2017).
Table 1. Basic site information for Rubi-Télé
| Area | 9,080 km² |
| Coordinates | 2.631336 N, 24.850447 E |
| Designation | Hunting Domain |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Rubi-Télé
| 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 | Unknown | 545 | 0.06 | Rubi-Télé Hunting Domain | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) | Plumptre et al. 2010 |
Threats
Artisanal mining has been established for over 20 years in Rubi-Télé, during which time the fauna has been substantially reduced by hunting. Encounter rates of chimpanzees and other fauna were much lower in this region than in forests immediately to the north (Hicks et al. 2010).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Rubi-Télé
| 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 | High | Invasion of artisanal-scale miners into the Rubi-Tele (Hicks et al. 2010, Bisimwa et al. 2021). | Ongoing (2021) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | High | The site is crossed by National Road Four (RN4) that connects Buta to Kisangani and other eastern DRC cities. This is a factor explaining the intensification of hunting and mining activities at the site (Bisimwa et al. 2021). | Ongoing (2021) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Bushmeat hunting, linked to mining activities (Hicks et al. 2010, Bisimwa et al. 2021). | Ongoing (2021) | |
| 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 Rubi-Télé
| 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 | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Rubi-Télé
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Rubi-Télé
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Mutombo P., Nyundai G., Malekani A., Angoyo R., Basa O., Dudu B., Amundala N., Gambalemoke S., Akaibe J., Kambale J. J., Bongo G. N., Ngbolua K. N. (2017). Diversity of rodents and shrews in Rubi-Télé Hunting Domain in the territory of Buta, Bas Uélé Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. International Journal of Zoology Studies, 2(1):89-95.
Plumptre, A.J., Rose, R., Nangendo, G., Williamson, E.A., Didier, K., Hart, J., Mulindahabi, F., Hicks, C., Griffin, B., Ogawa, H., Nixon, S., Pintea, L., Vosper, A., McClennan, M., Amsini, F., McNeilage, A., Makana, J.R., Kanamori, M., Hernandez, A., Piel, A., Stewart, F., Moore, J., Zamma, K., Nakamura, M., Kamenya, S., Idani, G., Sakamaki, T., Yoshikawa, M., Greer, D., Tranquilli, S., Beyers, R., Furuichi, T., Hashimoto, C. and Bennett, E. (2010). Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2010–2020. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland. 52pp.
Hicks, T. C., Darby, L., Hart, J., Swinkels, J., January, N., & Menken, S. (2010). Trade in orphans and bushmeat threatens one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s most important populations of Eastern Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). African Primates, 7(1), 1-18.
Bisimwa, L., Musangu, E., Mampeta, S., Amundala, N., Sabongo, P., & Sonwa, D. J. (2021). Challenges on the valorisation of local knowledge: Preliminary assessments in the Rubi-Tele Hunting Area (DRC). ASC-TUFS Working Papers, (1), 203-216.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 10/01/2022