Conservation Strategies in Central Africa
The San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research established its Central Africa Program in May 2007, building on previous work conducted in Cameroon since 1999. Its current geographical focus is in the extremely biodiverse, yet understudied rain forest region stretching from the north of the Sanaga River in Cameroon into the remaining forest fragments in Nigeria.
Regional initiatives include developing an IUCN-endorsed Conservation Action Plan for the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the most endangered chimpanzee subspecies, and a nation-wide survey of the drill in Cameroon, one of the most endangered primates in Africa.
In-depth ecological and behavioral research to inform conservation decisions is undertaken in the Ebo forest, one of the largest remaining forested areas in the region, and home to no less than eleven diurnal primate species, including the critically endangered Preuss’s red colobus. We currently have three permanently-manned research stations located throughout the forest, and have discovered that even within short distances, the botanical composition and faunal assemblage is quite distinct.
The Ebo forest is home to a biogeographically interesting gorilla population, located between the western lowland gorilla range (believed to exist south of the Sanaga River) and the Cross River gorilla range on the Cameroon-Nigerian border. Genetic analyses are underway to determine taxonomic affiliations of the Ebo gorillas, but meanwhile we continue to study and thus protect this small and vulnerable population on a daily basis.
The Ebo forest chimpanzees hit the headlines in 2006 after we discovered that they crack open hard-shelled fruits using stone and wooden “hammers,” a behavior previously believed to be restricted to apes in West Africa. Since that time, we have also discovered that the Ebo chimpanzees are also adept at fishing for termites and probing for honey. We currently have a series of video camera traps throughout the forest to capture these complex behaviors on film.
Further research work focuses on collecting information on the little-studied drill monkey, as well as periodic monitoring of the forest elephant population. We collaborate with the National Herbarium of Cameroon and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK in our attempts to identify and document the botanical treasures of the Ebo forest, and regularly uncover new species to science, including species currently believed to be endemic to the Ebo forest.
Recently we have started to amass information on the birds of the forest, which includes the little known rockfowl, and the reptiles and amphibians, including the goliath frog – the largest frog species in the world.
The Ebo forest is currently being reclassified as a National Park by the Government of Cameroon. Our information is providing baseline data that will be invaluable in future assessments of biodiversity, as well as uncovering some of the first ecological and behavioral data on a wide range of endangered species. Through training and employing local staff, and conducting education outreach activities in villages surrounding the Ebo forest, the Central Africa Program strives for a sustainable, long-term commitment to the conservation of wildlife and forests in the region, for the benefit of all.
