Wonga-Wongué
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Wonga-Wongué.
- The population sizes are unknown.
- The great ape population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 3,965.8 km².
- Key threats are not reported.
- Conservation activities are not reported.
Site characteristics
Wonga-Wongué is located in western Gabon, on the Atlantic coast. Habitats vary from mangrove wetlands and beaches to open grasslands and tropical forest (Mills et al. 2018). The site comprises a wildlife reserve and two hunting concessions (Ramsar 2016). In addition to chimpanzees and gorillas, other wildlife species found at the site include elephants, buffalos, hippos, and a wide diversity of waterbirds, predominantly Pelecanus onocrotalus (Ramsar 2016). The site was designated as a Ramsar Site for its international importance as a wetland in 1986.
Table 1. Basic site information for Wonga-Wongué
| Area | 3,965.816 km² |
| Coordinates | -0.541739 S, 9.460716 E |
| Designation | Presidential Reserve |
| Habitat types | Wetlands (inland) – Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands, Subtropical/tropical mangrove vegetation above high tide level, Subtropical/tropical moist lowland, Subtropical/tropical seasonally wet/flooded, Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, etc. |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Wonga-Wongué
| 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 |
Threats
Utilization of the land is forbidden in the area designated as presidential reserve; in the surrounding areas logging occurs, but this does not constitute a big threat yet (Ramsar 2016). Tourism also occurs in the surroundings, with the main activities consisting of wildlife viewing and beach recreation (Ramsar 2016). Human population density is relatively low (0.2 people km-2), and 59 villages are located within 10 km of the reserve’s southwest and southeast borders (Mills et al. 2018). The reserve seems to be well protected; e.g., no elephants were poached within the site from 2014 to 2016 (Mills et al. 2018).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Wonga-Wongué
| 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 | Unknown | ||||
| 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
Grassland covers 15% of the reserve (Mills et al. 2018). The Gabon Parks Agency (ANPN) prescribed burns are conducted annually during the long-dry season to maintain the grasslands, which would otherwise be overtaken by forest encroachment (Mills et al. 2018).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Wonga-Wongué
| 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 Wonga-Wongué
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Wonga-Wongué
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Mills, E. C., Poulsen, J. R., Fay, J. M., Morkel, P., Clark, C. J., Meier, A., ... & White, L. J. (2018). Forest elephant movement and habitat use in a tropical forest-grassland mosaic in Gabon. PloS one, 13(7), e0199387.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 10/01/2022