Pan paniscus Schwarz, 1929
CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The Salonga National Park, Zaïre: Established in 1970 partly for the protection of Bonobos. Although the park is 365,600 km2 in size, it does not appear to hold good numbers of Bonobo compared to areas such as Lomako and Wamba3 but recent surveys indicate that Bonobo are still present in significant numbers in the N.E.Sector.16
The Lomako Forest: The area contains a reasonably large and viable population of Bonobo, has good forest cover, is remote, occupies an area of 3,100 km2 bounded by rivers, and has a low human population density.3,5 The local people only sporadically enter the forest while hunting for bushmeat, but do not kill Bonobos.3 A long-term study project on the Bonobo is continuing (principally by the State University of New York at Stony Brook under the auspices of the Institut de Recherche Scientifique (IRS)).3,5 The isolation of Lomako, in a large block of uninhabited forest, has given at least some protection from human pressure, but hunting pressure and exploitation of timber resources are increasing.5 It has been proposed to protect the area as a National Park, but no progress has been made.5
Wamba Village, Equateur Province: Wamba was identified in the late 1970s as a site ideally suited to Bonobo study. A project is run by a team from the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, also under the auspices of the IRS.3,5 The local Mongandu people do not hunt Bonobos. Many of the local people are involved in fieldwork, eg. as trackers. A key difference between Wamba and Lombako is that the Bonobo at Wamba are provided with sugarcane to attract them to the study site.5 At Wamba in 1987, soldiers attempted to collect Bonobo infants as gifts for foreign dignitaries. Some adult Bonobos were killed.5 As at Lomako, logging and agricultural interests threaten the forest area.5
Other recent studies of this species have been undertaken at Lake Tumba (where intensive hunting occurs) and Yalosidi.3,8
The most urgently-required conservation measure is the establishment of at least one well protected park or reserve specifically for the Bonobo, following an extensive survey of its range and thorough study of its habitat requirements.3,16
Revised African Primate Action Plan:10 An updated IUCN/Species Survival Commission Action Plan for African Primate Conservation was published in 1996- In addition, an Action Plan for Bonobos has recently been published.17
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