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Great Apes conservation in times of Crisis

In the Lebialem Highlands of Southwest Cameroon, the Environment and Rural Development Foundation-ERuDeF with funding from Arcus Foundation launched its conservation efforts to provide long term protection of great apes species populations in 2010 with focus on Cross River Gorillas and the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees which are located in the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (THWS) in Southwest Cameroon. The Lebialem highlands in Cameroon and Nigeria are home to these primates considered as the world’s most critically endangered primates especially the Cross River GorillaImage of Cross River Gorillas captured through camera trap. Picture Credit: Arcus Foundation.

The project is a collaboration between the government of Cameroon, conservation organizations, and local communities. The goal is to conserve the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla primarily and the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee populations and their habitat, while also improving the livelihoods of local communities. It uses a multi-faceted approach that involves conservation education, community engagement, and sustainable development.

One of the key components of the project is conservation education. The project has worked with local schools to teach students about the importance of conservation and the role that the Cross River Gorilla and Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee play in the ecosystem. It has hosted community events and workshops to raise awareness about the importance of conservation.

This great ape conservation initiative has already achieved some notable successes. For example, the project has helped establish a protected area in the Lebialem Highlands that is home to both primates. In its 15 year vision, it envisages that a total surface area of 130,482 ha would be collectively protected and managed in these highlands to secure and ensure genetic connectivity and migration among species. This is leading to the protection of 60 cross river gorilla sub population, 1000 Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzees, 200 African forest elephants as well as other IUCN Red list species such as Drills, Preuss’s monkey, many species of birds, amphibians and reptiles. Through the Community Ranger Support Program that aimed at training at least 12 community rangers who will monitor and enforce laws that protect the primates and their habitat, illegal hunting and logging in the area drastically reduced.

The project had established community-based patrols that helped to deter poachers and illegal loggers. Through the ERuDeF Community Ranger Support Project, community Rangers were trained on bio monitoring techniques as in the use of GPS and setting of camera traps and registering of data coordinates as they patrol the highlands thoroughly to determine the movements of these primates and protect them from humans.

This project has demonstrated how possible it is to protect critically endangered species while also improving the livelihoods of local communities. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure the survival of the Cross River Gorillas and Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzees especially with the on-going armed conflict in the English speaking part of Cameroon which happens to be where the Lebialem Highlands is found as well as the project site.

EASTERN CAMEROON BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE: Designing the Great apes migratory corridor

In 2020, the Environment and Rural Development Foundation-ERuDeF launched the Deng-Deng Belabo Gorilla Conservation Corridor Project in Eastern Cameroon to ensure the free movement of key stone species identified in the landscape such as Western lowland gorillas, central chimpanzees and African Forest  Elephants and at the same time assisting communities in these areas to create their community forests. One of the most significant components of this initiative is the creation of  Great Apes migratory corridor. The Great Apes migratory corridor initiative sought to create a continuous forested corridor that will allow the great apes to migrate freely between different forested areas. Pic. 1 Western Lowland Gorilla captured from camera. Picture credit: World Land Trust

The Eastern Region of Cameroon is one of the last remaining strongholds of the great apes, including the Western Lowland Gorilla and the Central Chimpanzee. These great apes are facing a growing threat due to habitat fragmentation, hunting, and other human activities. This project is addressing these threats by creating a safe and continuous forested corridor that will allow the great apes to migrate freely between different forested areas. This corridor is about 400 km long and will connect the Deng-Deng National Park in the Lom and Djerem Division to the Dja Biosphere Reserve in the Haut-Nyong Division, all in Eastern Cameroon and will also benefit other wildlife species that depend on the forested habitats, such as African forest elephants, white bellied pangolins, and various species.

To achieve these goals, the Great Apes migratory corridor project involved several key activities. The first step was to identify the most suitable areas for the corridor and to conduct a thorough ecological assessment of these areas. This assessment involved mapping the vegetation types, identifying key wildlife species, and assessing the threats and opportunities for the corridor. Based on this assessment, the project team then designed and implemented a range of conservation activities, such as forest restoration, anti-poaching patrols, and community engagement programs.

One of the critical success factors of the Great Apes migratory corridor project is community engagement. By involving them in the project, the team has created a sense of ownership and pride in the conservation efforts, which is enhancing the long-term sustainability of the project.

Also, the Great Apes migratory corridor project is a collaborative effort involving several organizations, including the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, ERuDeF as the lead organisation and the World Land Trust as the funder of the project since 2020. This collaboration has ensured that the project is well-coordinated and has access to a range of expertise and resources. It also helps to leverage the support of different stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and the private sector, to achieve the project’s goals.Pic.2. Partial view of the corridor. Picture credit: ERuDeF

Another interesting prospect in this project is the development of a carbon finance mechanism which will involve a combination of council forests that are expected to secure at least 50,000ha of land. It should be noted that the project named the Deng-Deng Belabo Conservation Corridor Project cuts across four councils in the East region namely; the Belabo council, the Doume council, the Abong-mbang council and the Mindourou council.

Overall, the Great Apes migratory corridor project is a critical initiative that has the potential to make a significant impact on the biodiversity of the Eastern Region of Cameroon and provide a model for future conservation initiatives in the region and beyond.

Certification Biologique des agro-forêts  à base de cacao pour la protection de la biodiversité et des grands singes

Dans le cadre du projet ECOFAC6, Tropical Forest and Rural Development a accompagné les producteurs de cacao de la boucle du Dja dans la réhabilitation de leurs anciennes plantations et la création de nouvelles plantations d’agroforesterie à base de cacao sur des terres en jachère. Ce processus s’est étendu sur les cinq (05) dernières années et a permis d’améliorer considérablement la qualité et la quantité de cacao produite. Cette augmentation significative de la production a eu un impact positif sur la vie des producteurs, leur permettant de réaliser des projets de grande envergure tels que la construction de maisons, l’achat de motos, l’achat de tôles en aluminium et la scolarisation des enfants.

Par ailleurs, dans le souci de protéger les grands singes dans ces champs d’agroforesterie à base de cacao, TF-RD a lancé la campagne cacaoyère 2023 avec une certification biologique (ECOCERT). Cette initiative vise à améliorer encore davantage les conditions de vie des communautés grâce à une production biologique exempte de tout intrant chimique, tout en sensibilisant ces communautés aux bienfaits de la culture biologique et à l’importance de protéger la diversité biologique, en particulier des grands singes dans les plantations cacaoyère.Il convient de noter que ce projet a été réalisé avec le soutien financier de l’Union Européenne et vise à renforcer la gestion durable des aires protégées et des écosystèmes forestiers dans les 10 pays de l’Afrique centrale. ECOFAC6 est la sixième phase du programme ECOFAC, lancé en 1992, et vise principalement à renforcer les capacités des gouvernements, des communautés locales et des acteurs de la société civile pour la gestion durable des ressources naturelles en Afrique centrale.

Le projet ECOFAC6 met l’accent sur la promotion de l’écotourisme, la gestion participative des ressources naturelles, la lutte contre la déforestation et la gestion des aires protégées. Il contribue également à renforcer la gouvernance forestière et à lutter contre le commerce illégal d’espèces de la faune et de la flore sauvages.

Copyright des images : Tropical Forest and Rural Development