Dulombi National Park

West Africa > Guinea-Bissau > Dulombi National Park

Summary

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• Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Dulombi National Park.
• The population size is unknown.
• The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
• The site has a total size of 160 km².
• Key threats to chimpanzees are destruction and fragmentation of their habitats by shifting agriculture and the plantation of cashew trees.
• The main conservation activities are awareness raising, support for community development with the support of the GEF project.
• The site is part of the Dulombi-Boé-Tchetche (DBT) Complex.

Site characteristics

The Dulombi National Park is located in southern Guinea-Bissau, bordering Guinea to the south. The park is part of a larger complex of protected areas, the Dulombi-Boé-Tchetche (DBT) Complex, formed by Dulombi National Park, Boé National Park, Tchetche wildlife corridor, Cuntabane-Quebo wildlife corridor and Salifo wildlife corridor. The park was established in 2017. The area is characterized by its great diversity of ecosystems, which are typical habitats of this transition zone between the Sudano-Sahelian and Guineo-Congolese regions. The Dulombi area is the area of ​​greatest biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau due to the convergence of savannah and forest species, some endemic plants, with 164 species of birds, 10 species of primates, 13 carnivores and 17 ungulates, including many rare and endangered species, especially primates, such as the chimpanzee, Cercopithecus mona campbelli, Papio papio and Erythrocebus patas. The park contains some species characteristic of the savannah and the subtropical climate, such as aquatic species and some migratory species that use the various waterways. This area is also recognized as an International Bird Area (BirdLife International 2023).

Table 1. Basic site information for Dulombi National Park

Area	160 km²
Coordinates	11.686065, -14.443590
Designation	National Park
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical dry forest, savanna

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

Based on observations and data collected between 2011 and 2016 in the territories of Dijifilm and Paramanguel, which are part of Dulombi National Park, the average group size is about 7, but groups up to 19 animals have been observed. It is possible that at least 25 to 30 chimpanzees are present in the territories of Djifim and Paramanguel (Wit, P. & Goedmakers, A. 2022).

Table 2. Ape population estimates in Dulombi 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 verus	2011-2016	25-30			Territories of Djifilm and Paramanguel, approx. 80 sq. km	Other	Wit, P. & Goedmakers, A. 2022	Based on patrols by community members.

Threats

Although it is a protected area, the park model adopted by Guinea-Bissau contains human populations within it. This has the effect of increasing the pressure on wildlife. The chimpanzee is not hunted for meat consumption, however it faces several threats, including the destruction and fragmentation of its habitats by shifting agriculture and the plantation of cashew trees. Other threats are lower, but with negative impacts on the conservation of chimpanzee species, such as the installation of new villages, the use of biological resources, in particular fruit trees and timber, and other potential activities such as mining. But the population of chimpanzees in Dulombi has not been extensively studied, so there has not been an effective assessment or estimation of the level of impacts.

Table 3. Threats to apes in Dulombi National Park

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Quantified severity	Description	Year of threat
1. Residential & commercial development	1.1 Housing & urban areas	Moderate		Construction of new villages.	Ongoing (2022)
2. Agriculture & aquaculture	2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops	High		Annual loss of natural habitats. Augmenting agricultural fields (Shifting cultivation) at the level of conservation areas and after collection cashew plantation.	Ongoing (2022)
3. Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	Unknown
4. Transportation & service corridors		Unknown
5. Biological resource use	5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants	Moderate		Generally not hunted for meat consumption.	Ongoing (2012)
	5.3 Logging & wood harvesting	Moderate		Timber harvesting.	2012
6. Human intrusion & disturbance		Unknown
7. Natural system modifications	7.1 Fire & fire suppression	Threat is present, but severity is unknown		Uncontrolled fires for agriculture or transhumance.	Ongoing (2022)
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

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

The Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas is the main structure in charge of the management of the park and the conservation of biodiversity. With the model of protected areas adopted with the communities inside, zoning is established, and 3 priority zones (integral conservation zone, buffer zone and development zone) have been defined for the use of space and resources are established in each area. This park was officially created in 2017, by Decree-Law, after years of negotiation with local communities. Since its creation, the park has been the subject of many management, conservation, awareness-raising and community development support actions with the support of the GEF project (2011-2017), GCCA+ (2014-2022).

Table 4. Conservation activities in Dulombi 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	5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols	Participatory patrol actions with the involvement of local communities, protected area staff and security agents since 2017.	Ongoing (2017)
	5.8. Inspect bushmeat markets for illegal primate species	DNA identification of primate bushmeat from urban markets in Guinea Bissau and its implications for conservation.	2013
	5.11. Provide training to anti-poaching ranger patrols	Regular training action for anti-poaching patrols.	2018, 2019
	5.17. Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms	Development of sustainable local initiatives (beekeeping, extraction of red oil, horticulture, improved stoves). GEF Project - EU/GCCA+.	Ongoing (2012)	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	10.1. Educate local communities about primates and sustainable use	Session of Education, Communication and Environmental Awareness. With specialized NGOs.	Ongoing (2022)
	10.2. Involve local community in primate research and conservation management	The guards and collaborators of the local community take part in all the processes of conservation whose actions of research are set up.Chimpanzee monitoring project (2015/2016); Project genetic study of chimpanzees; Project eDNA (2021).	Ongoing (2022)
	10.4. Regularly play TV & radio announcements to raise primate conservation awareness	Advertisements and radio programs on PA regulations (biodiversity protection) are regularly broadcast on existing community radio stations in the regions.	Ongoing (2022)
	10.5. Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions	Cinema-debate campaigns in villages of the park and in schools on the conservation of biodiversity, including primates. Awareness sessions for village communities on the OMVG interconnection lines and the dangers for primates.	Ongoing (2022)
11. Habitat Protection	11.1. Create buffer zones around protected primate habitat	Establishment and control of buffer zones in protected areas. Decree-law creating the protected area.	Ongoing (2017)
	11.2. Legally protect primate habitat	Creation of the protected area and the framework of protected areas that includes important habitats for primates.	Ongoing (2017)
	11.4. Create/protect habitat corridors	Creation of the Cuntabani Corridor to enable ecological connectivity	Ongoing (2017)
	11.9. Plant indigenous fast-growing trees (will not necessarily resemble original community) in clear-cut areas	Restocking of trees of interest to chimpanzees in parks and corridors.	2018, 2019
12. Species Management	Not reported
13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives	13.5. Permanent presence of staff/manager	Training of park managers and staff with the start of projects or with the establishment of research activities.	Ongoing (2022)

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

The park has a Management Plan (2021) and a management structure, but the volatility and lack of sustainable funding hampers the implementation of conservation actions. There is also a lack of staff capacity on chimpanzee monitoring methods and capacity to cover the entire surface area of ​​the protected area. Shifting cultivation followed by the planting of cashews is one of the greatest challenges facing this park. We need to invest even more in sustainable alternative activities.

Table 5. Challenges reported for Dulombi National Park

Challenge	Source
Civil unrest/political instability	Barros, Mandeck & Quecuta pers. comm. 2022
Conflicts over land tenure	Barros, Mandeck & Quecuta pers. comm. 2022
Corruption	P.erinaceus woodcut (CITES 2014)
Lack of capacity/training	IBAP annual reports
Lack of financial means	IBAP annual reports
Lack of human resources	IBAP annual reports
Lack of logistical means	IBAP annual reports
Lack of technical means (including lack of infrastructure, transport, miscellaneous equipment)	IBAP annual reports
Funding volatility	IBAP annual reports

Research activities

Few research actions have been carried out in this recently created park. Camera-traps were installed (Bersacola, 2016) and also genetic studies (Silva Ferreira, 2016). Chimpanzee monitoring indicators have also been identified (IBAP, 2015) and complementary surveys of chimpanzee populations in the Cuntabane corridor (Biotope, 2020). In summary, little research has been conducted on this site.

Documented behaviours

Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Dulombi National Park

Behavior	Source
Not reported

References

BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Dulombi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/02/2023.

Page completed by: Aissa Regalla de Barros, João Mandeck, Queba Quecuta, Piet Wit & Annemarie Goedmakers Date: 13/02/2023