<Papers from the bonobo workshop 2003> <Note> Conserving Pan paniscus in the Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Among the highest conservation priorities for the bonobo (bilia, Pan paniscus) are to determine the extent of the species' present range, locate major surviving populations, assess habitat and degree of population fragmentation, and quantify the level of threat. Thus, regional surveys are urgently needed (1, 2), as well as quantitation of habitat characteristics. The Action Plan for Pan paniscus (1) identified important potential survey regions. Among these sites is the Salonga National Park (SNP), Democratic Republic of Congo. Designated as a World Heritage Site in 1984, and covering an area over 36,000 km 2 (3), the SNP potentially harbors the largest, relatively undisturbed, and legally protected bonobo habitat. At present it is the only federally protected area for Pan paniscus (1). The park was created in 1970 to protect the bonobo, but early reports indicate that the bonobo's occurrence may be rare to non-existent (3). In order to fully establish a countrywide conservation strategy for the bonobo, it is critical to understand the population status of the bonobo in the SNP, i.e., whether they exist and to what extent the population may be self-sustaining.In

Evidence for adolescent length growth spurts in bonobos and other primates highlights the importance of scaling laws

“…In males, testicular descent occurs at nine years of age in wild bonobos (Kuroda, 1989) and between the sixth and tenth years of age in captivity (Dahl and Gould, 1997), which corresponds to a fast increase in urinary testosterone around the age of eight years (Behringer et al, 2014). Zoo-born males are on average 12.3 years old at their first reproduction (range 7-17.2 years) (Reinartz et al, 2002). Zoo-housed females outlive males by several decades (Stevens, 2020).…”

Effects of Forest Type and Human Presence on Bonobo (Pan paniscus) Density in the Salonga National Park1

“…Early literature suggested that Salonga harbored no bonobo (Badrian and Badrian, 1977;Kano, 1979Kano, , 1984IUCN/UNEP, 1987), but more recently, site reports confirmed their presence within the park (Alers et al, 1992;D'Huart, 1988;Meder et al, 1988), indicating a potentially sparse population with a patchy distribution. In 1997, following action plan recommendations, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, in partnership with the Institut Congolais pour le Conservation de la Nature (Ministère de l'Environnement, Eaux et Forêts), conducted a preliminary bonobo survey in the northeast tip of Salonga's northern sector and confirmed a resident population of bonobos in 4 study sites (Reinartz, 2003;Van Krunkelsven, 2001;Van Krunkelsven et al, 2000). A recent park-wide survey assessing the illegal killing of elephants identified additional bonobo populations (Ilambu and Grossmann, 2004).…”