The current status of gorillas and threats to their existence at the beginning of a new millennium (original) (raw)
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Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement, 2013
Impacts de l’exploitation forestiere et de la chasse sur les populations de gorille des plaines de l’Ouest (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) et consequences pour la regeneration forestiere (synthese bibliographique). L’exploitation du bois d’œuvre se developpe rapidement a travers les forets du Bassin du Congo. Les surfaces devolues a l’exploitation forestiere ont rapidement augmente au cours des decennies et couvrent aujourd’hui une part importante de l’aire de distribution du gorille des plaines de l’Ouest (Gorilla gorilla gorilla Savage & Wyman, 1847). Or, cette espece en danger critique d’extinction (IUCN), pourrait jouer un role fondamental dans le maintien de la structure et de la composition des forets tropicales humides. Cela serait lie a une dispersion efficace des graines due au caractere frugivore marque de son regime alimentaire, aux temps de retention eleves des aliments ingeres, aux longues distances quotidiennes parcourues, a une capacite volumique stomacale importante et a s...
UNEP-CMS Technical Series Publication N°17, 2008
Most famous among the species of the Green Heart of Africa, gorillas are the ultimate umbrella species that symbolize the predicament of biodiversity throughout the central African forests, including the great Congo Basin countries and their direct neighbours of the Central Albertine Rift. Highly charismatic, these gentle giants move regularly through the forest, ensuring sufficient time for herbaceous plants to re-grow between their visits. Thanks to their size, strength and intelligence, gorillas face almost no major threats from any other species - except human beings. As a result, they are now endangered. Why are Gorillas now in a precarious state? Globally, the main pressures and threats facing gorillas are hunting and poaching for bushmeat, disease, habitat degradation and loss through agriculture, timber extraction and mining, as well as the direct and indirect threats posed by civil unrest and wars. Whilst forest habitats are being degraded and lost throughout the range of Gorillas, there are important geographical differences in the most immediate threats faced by the four currently recognized gorilla taxa, particularly those that occupy the two distant areas of the western and eastern ranges.
International Journal of Primatology, 1998
We describe the distribution and estimate densities of Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri) and eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi) in a 12,770-km 2area of lowland forest between the Lowa, Luka, Lugulu, and Oku rivers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the site of the largest continuous population of Grauer's gorillas. The survey included a total of 480 km of transects completed within seven sampling zones in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park lowland sector and adjacent Kasese region and approximately 1100 km of footpath and forest reconnaissance. We estimate total populations of 7670 (4180–10,830) weaned gorillas within the Kahuzi-Biega lowland sector and 3350 (1420–5950) individuals in the Kasese survey areas. Within the same area, we estimate a population of 2600 (1620–4500) chimpanzees. Ape nest site densities are significantly higher within the Kahuzi-Biega lowland sector than in the more remote Kasese survey area in spite of a significantly higher encounter rate of human sign within the lowland sector of the park. Comparison of our data with information obtained by Emlen and Schaller during the first rangewide survey of Grauer's gorillas in 1959 suggests that gorilla populations have remained stable in protected areas but declined in adjacent forest. These findings underscore the key role played by national parks in protecting biological resources in spite of the recent political and economic turmoil in the region. We also show that forest reconnaissance is a reliable and cost-effective method to assess gorilla densities in remote forested areas.
Gorilla Sanctuaries and Conservation in Congo and Gabon by
2009
The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) continues to decline in the wild, and has recently been moved from the Endangered to the Critically Endangered class of the IUCN red list of species threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2007). The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is classified as Endangered, with populations decreasing. All other great apes are also threatened. To counter this dramatic situation, key objectives have been identified and actions recommended within the Global strategy for the survival of great apes and their habitat (GRASP, 2005b), a strategy ratified by the signing in September 2005 of the Kinshasa Declaration (GRASP, 2005a) by a wide range of partners and supporters of the Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), including range-state and donor governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. These documents provide a valuable resource to all field projects whatever their size. By aligning objectives and actions to those of the Glo...
Gorilla sanctuaries and conservation in Congo and Gabon
The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) continues to decline in the wild, and has recently been moved from the Endangered to the Critically Endangered class of the IUCN red list of species threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2007). The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is classified as Endangered, with populations decreasing. All other great apes are also threatened. To counter this dramatic situation, key objectives have been identified and actions recommended within the Global strategy for the survival of great apes and their habitat (GRASP, 2005b), a strategy ratified by the signing in September 2005 of the Kinshasa Declaration (GRASP, 2005a) by a wide range of partners and supporters of the Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), including range-state and donor governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. These documents provide a valuable resource to all field projects whatever their size. By aligning objectives and actions to those of the Glo...
Endangered Species Research, 2013
Most forest habitats in Cameroon support villages whose inhabitants are heavily reliant on the forests for their everyday needs. We assessed the socio-economic status and natural resource use of 3 villages bordering Mawambi Hills, an unprotected forest in southwest Cameroon, home to both the Critically Endangered Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli and the Endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee Pan troglodytes ellioti. This forest likely hosts one of the largest sub-populations of Cross River gorillas in Cameroon and is vulnerable to human influence given that it lies in close proximity to surrounding villages and is less hilly than other Cross River gorilla habitats. We show that employment opportunities in surrounding villages are rare, and people rely on agriculture and the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as eru Gnetum spp. and bush mango Irvingia spp., for food and income. We also show that areas of heavy human activity coincide spatially with great ape nest sites and raise concerns about the potential impact of human activities on great ape survival at the site. We call for (1) sustainable harvesting and marketing of NTFPs, (2) the introduction of alternative livelihood opportunities (e.g. beekeeping and on-farm production of NTFPs), (3) active wildlife law enforcement to safeguard the persistence of great apes, and (4) the introduction of a community-based forest management programme that will enable communities to secure the rights to use and manage surrounding forest resources legally.
Oryx, 2000
densities did not vary significantly between sectors or Abstract The aim of this study was to make preliminary assessments of the effects of human activities on with human activity levels. A high frequency of zero the gorillas and other wildlife in the Dzanga-Ndoki (bare ground) nests at RDS suggests that gorilla sur-Park and broader Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve veys that rely on line transect methods and use nest (RDS), Central African Republic. During a month-long decomposition rates from other studies may sometimes underestimate gorilla densities. This study suggests survey in 1997, observation and sign of humans and that current levels of exploitation in managed hunting large mammals, including ape nest-sites, were recorded on 81.2 km of line transects in three sectors of the park zones of national forest reserves may be negatively and reserve. Human activities, including intensities of affecting targeted wildlife populations in these zones. Assessments should be a regular part of efforts to logging and hunting, appeared to decrease with distance from the population centres and were lower in monitor the health of wildlife populations in managed protected zones. Participation by Central Africans in the park than in the reserve sectors. Encounter rates research will continue to benefit conservation and de-with sign of duikers Cephalophus spp., monkeys Cercopvelopment efforts. ithecus spp. and Cercocebus albigena, elephants Loxodonta africana, and gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla were generally
2020
A sub-population of the Cross River gorilla-CRG has been discovered in the Lebialem-Mone Forest landscape (LMFL). The gorillas are found in a non-permanent forest estate meaning that this area can be converted into any form of land use other than forestry. Fauna and Flora International-FFI and the Environment and Rural Development Foundation-ERuDeF are working towards designating a wildlife sanctuary for this CRG and other biodiversity but to proceed with the proposed plan, field information is mandatory. Primates are known to be vulnerable to forest cover destruction. This research therefore intends to assess the changes that have occurred in the site over time as well as identify the drivers of the change which serve as challenges for protecting the habitat. In order to attain these objectives, Landsat and SPOT satellite images for 1986 and 2011 respectively were analysed to assess the change. Interviews and observations were used to identify the drivers of change and current chal...