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= Ape status =
= Ape status =


From 2012 to 2016 the great ape population in the DSPA has remained stable (N'Goran 2017).
From 2012 to 2016 the great ape population in the DSPA has remained stable ([[#R00531|N'Goran 2017]]).


'''Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area'''
'''Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area'''
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|-
|-
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'' & ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'' & ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|2012
|2016
|
|
|
|
|
|
|2310.0
|2059.0
|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
|Line transects
|Line transects
|
|
|N'Goran 2017
|[[#R00531|N'Goran 2017]]
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'' & ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|''Pan troglodytes troglodytes'' & ''Gorilla gorilla gorilla''
|2016
|2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|2059.0
|2310.0
|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
|Line transects
|Line transects
|
|
|N'Goran 2017
|[[#R00531|N'Goran 2017]]
|
|
|
|
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|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
|High (more than 70% of population affected)
|High (more than 70% of population affected)
|Growing demand for bushmeat from distant urban areas ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/facts-infos/ Dzanga-Sangha]). Active hunting pressures mapped during participatory ZCC mission; snares, cartridges, camps detected (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|Growing demand for bushmeat from distant urban areas ([[#R01998|Dzanga-Sangha]]). Active hunting pressures mapped during participatory ZCC mission; snares, cartridges, camps detected (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|2020-Ongoing (2024)
|2020-Ongoing (2024)
|-
|-
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|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
|Present (unknown severity)
|Present (unknown severity)
|Since 2014, two companies have each been granted a logging and administrative permit. Logging by the two companies will be completed by 2020. At that point, their concession permit can be extended or renewed ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/facts-infos/ Dzanga-Sangha]).
|Since 2014, two companies have each been granted a logging and administrative permit. Logging by the two companies will be completed by 2020. At that point, their concession permit can be extended or renewed ([[#R01998|Dzanga-Sangha]]).
|2014-Ongoing (2020)
|2014-Ongoing (2020)
|-
|-
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|8.4 Pathogens
|8.4 Pathogens
|Present (unknown severity)
|Present (unknown severity)
|Increased risk of disease transmission from humans ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/facts-infos/ Dzanga-Sangha]).
|Increased risk of disease transmission from humans ([[#R01998|Dzanga-Sangha]]).
|Ongoing (2020)
|Ongoing (2020)
|}
|}
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|2 Counter-wildlife crime
|2 Counter-wildlife crime
|2.11 Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g., SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of patrols
|2.11 Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g., SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of patrols
|A monitoring system has been established that not only tracks wildlife species but also examines, for example, how human pressure affects natural resources. In addition, we record the spatial distribution of habitats, monitor changes in forest area, and collect data on timber usage (Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025).
|A monitoring system has been established that not only tracks wildlife species but also examines, for example, how human pressure affects natural resources. In addition, we record the spatial distribution of habitats, monitor changes in forest area, and collect data on timber usage ([[#R00530|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025]]).
|
|
|Ongoing (2025)
|Ongoing (2025)
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|2 Counter-wildlife crime
|2 Counter-wildlife crime
|2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols
|2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols
|Anti-poaching patrols ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/why-anti-poaching-work-is-important/ Dzanga-Sangha]). A total of 41 patrols were carried out with the participation of 86 rangers, amounting to 1,673 ranger-days and covering nearly 2,000 km on foot (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|Anti-poaching patrols ([[#R02029|Dzanga-Sangha]]). A total of 41 patrols were carried out with the participation of 86 rangers, amounting to 1,673 ranger-days and covering nearly 2,000 km on foot (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|DSPA Protection & Surveillance Department
|DSPA Protection & Surveillance Department
|2018-Ongoing (2024)
|2018-Ongoing (2024)
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|3 Species health
|3 Species health
|3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities
|3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities
|zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and anthrax can be transmitted between humans and animals. To protect both people and wildlife, Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area developed an early warning system in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute, and since 2022, they had been working with the Helmholtz Institute for One Health. They noted that this approach helps prevent deadly outbreaks and supports the health of wildlife populations safeguarding ecotourism as a vital source of income for local communities (Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025). In addition, Malaria diagnostic tests (Giemsa stain) were introduced (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and anthrax can be transmitted between humans and animals. To protect both people and wildlife, Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area developed an early warning system in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute, and since 2022, they had been working with the Helmholtz Institute for One Health. They noted that this approach helps prevent deadly outbreaks and supports the health of wildlife populations safeguarding ecotourism as a vital source of income for local communities ([[#R00530|Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025]]). In addition, Malaria diagnostic tests (Giemsa stain) were introduced (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|Dzanga-Sangha National Protected Area, Helmholtz Institute for One Health
|Dzanga-Sangha National Protected Area, Helmholtz Institute for One Health
|2022-Ongoing (2025)
|2022-Ongoing (2025)
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|6 Species management
|6 Species management
|6.1 Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers
|6.1 Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers
|Visitors have the privilege of tracking gorillas and mangabeys who are used to the presence of humans, thanks to the Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/sustainable-tourism/ Dzanga-Sangha]).
|Visitors have the privilege of tracking gorillas and mangabeys who are used to the presence of humans, thanks to the Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) ([[#R02030|Dzanga-Sangha]]).
|
|
|1997-Ongoing (2020)
|1997-Ongoing (2020)
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|7 Economic & other incentives
|7 Economic & other incentives
|7.2 Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., better education, infrastructure development)
|7.2 Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., better education, infrastructure development)
|Support community health through a mobile unit and health care centers; supporting schools with money for teaching materials, teacher salaries, and student fees ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/sustainable-development-and-education/ Dzanga-Sangha]]). School supplies distributed to 1 480 students (32 primary, 2 high schools), maintenance and installation of solar plants at Dzanga and Belemboke (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|Support community health through a mobile unit and health care centers; supporting schools with money for teaching materials, teacher salaries, and student fees ([[#R02031|Dzanga-Sangha]]]). School supplies distributed to 1 480 students (32 primary, 2 high schools), maintenance and installation of solar plants at Dzanga and Belemboke (DSPA Newsletter 2024).
|DSPA Community Department, CSSS team, EU NaturAfrica initiative, WWF
|DSPA Community Department, CSSS team, EU NaturAfrica initiative, WWF
|2019-Ongoing (2024)
|2019-Ongoing (2024)
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|8 Permanent presence
|8 Permanent presence
|8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site
|8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site
|Eco-tourism project ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/sustainable-tourism/ Dzanga-Sangha]).
|Eco-tourism project ([[#R02030|Dzanga-Sangha]]).
|
|
|Ongoing (2020)
|Ongoing (2020)
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|4 Institutional support
|4 Institutional support
|4.3 Strong transboundary cooperation
|4.3 Strong transboundary cooperation
|UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2012
|[[#R00533|UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2012]]
|2012-Ongoing (2025)
|2012-Ongoing (2025)
|-
|-
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Researchers from around the world come to Dzanga-Sangha to study wildlife and rainforest ecology, with findings guiding park management. Research also helps understand community impacts, human-wildlife conflicts like crop damage by elephants, and disease transmission risks. Their work includes a zoonoses project and a Primate Habituation Programme to support ecotourism ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/research/ Research in Dzanga-Sangha]).  
Researchers from around the world come to Dzanga-Sangha to study wildlife and rainforest ecology, with findings guiding park management. Research also helps understand community impacts, human-wildlife conflicts like crop damage by elephants, and disease transmission risks. Their work includes a zoonoses project and a Primate Habituation Programme to support ecotourism ([https://dzanga-sangha.org/research/ Research in Dzanga-Sangha]).  
A study was also carried out. A deeper investigation into his injuries suggests they were the result of a fight with another male. Silverbacks can engage in physical confrontations during sexual competition, sometimes injuring or even killing their rivals (Potel et al., 2024).
A study was also carried out. A deeper investigation into his injuries suggests they were the result of a fight with another male. Silverbacks can engage in physical confrontations during sexual competition, sometimes injuring or even killing their rivals ([[#R00532|Potel et al., 2024]]).




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= Exposure to climate change impacts =
= Exposure to climate change impacts =


As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, Kiribou et al. subm. extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, www.isimip.org). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period. For 1981-2010, the EWEMBI dataset from ISIMIP2a was used. For the two future periods (2021-2050 and 2071-2099) ISIMIP2b climate data based on four CMIP5 global climate models were used. For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period.
As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, [[#R02190|Kiribou et al. (2024)]] extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, www.isimip.org). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period. For 1981-2010, the EWEMBI dataset from ISIMIP2a was used. For the two future periods (2021-2050 and 2071-2099) ISIMIP2b climate data based on four CMIP5 global climate models were used. For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period.


The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated (see Kiribou et al. subm. for details).
The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated ([[#R02190|Kiribou et al. 2024]]).


'''Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area'''
'''Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area'''
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= References =
= References =


Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (2025). Research in Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/research/ <br>
<span id="R00530"></span>Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas. (2025). Research in Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/research/
Potel, H., [Other authors’ initials & surnames], & [Last author]. (2024). Lethal combats in the forest among wild western gorillas: We show lethal aggressions in western gorillas as predicted by sexual selection. iScience, 27(??), ???. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.00658-8 <br>
 
N'Goran, K.P. (2017). Summary Report on WWF BIOMONITORING activities from 2014 to 2016 Status of Forest Elephant and Great Apes in Central Africa Priority Sites. Available online: https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF_CA_Biomonitoring_Report.pdf <br>
<span id="R00531"></span>N’Goran, K. P. (2017). Summary report on WWF biomonitoring activities from 2014 to 2016: Status of forest elephant and great apes in Central Africa priority sites. https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF_CA_Biomonitoring_Report.pdf
UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2012). Sangha Trinational (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo). <br>
 
<span id="R00532"></span>Potel, H. (2024). Lethal combats in the forest among wild western gorillas: We show lethal aggressions in western gorillas as predicted by sexual selection. iScience, 27(??), ???. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.00658-8.
 
<span id="R00533"></span>UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2012). Sangha Trinational (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo).
 
<span id="R02190"></span>Kiribou, R., Tehoda, P., Chukwu, O., Bempah, G., Kühl, H. S., Ferreira, J., …, & Heinicke, S. (2024). Exposure of African ape sites to climate change impacts. ''PLOS Climate'', 3(2), e0000345. [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000345 doi:10.1371/journal.pclm.0000345]
 
<span id="R01998"></span>Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/facts-infos/
 
<span id="R02029"></span>Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/why-anti-poaching-work-is-important/


<span id="R02030"></span>Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/sustainable-tourism/


<span id="R02031"></span>Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/stories/sustainable-development-and-education/





Latest revision as of 17:52, 15 October 2026

Central Africa > Central African Republic > Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

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Summary

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  • Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area.
  • It has been estimated that 2,059 great apes occur in the site.
  • The great ape population trend is stable.
  • The site has a total size of 6,865 km².
  • Key threats to great apes are hunting, logging, and increased risk of disease transmission from humans.
  • Conservation activities have focused on anti-poaching patrols, eco-tourism, and supporting community health.
  • The site forms part of the Sangha Trinational transboundary conservation complex

Site characteristics

Dzanga-Sangha is located in the southwestern corner of the Central African Republic, bordering Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, also found in the Central African Republic, and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo. The site forms part of the Sangha Trinational (TNS) transboundary conservation complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The TNS also encompasses Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. The Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Special reserve was established in 1990; in 2007 it was renamed the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area (DSPA). In 2019, the World Wide Fund for Nature signed a co-management agreement with the government (Dzanga-Sangha). The DSPA is formed by a mosaic of ecosystems, including rivers, marshlands and bais, which support rare and endangered species such as forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, sitatungas and bongos (Dzanga-Sangha).

Table 1. Basic site information for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Species Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Area 6,865 km²
Coordinates Lat: 3.173628 , Lon: 16.296941
Type of site Protected area
Habitat types Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes)
Type of governance Shared governance

Types of sites Governance types Habitat types

Ape status

From 2012 to 2016 the great ape population in the DSPA has remained stable (N'Goran 2017).

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Species Year Occurrence Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day) Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) Abundance estimate (95% CI) Survey area Sampling method Analytical framework Source Comments A.P.E.S. database ID
Pan troglodytes troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla 2016 2059.0 Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area Line transects N'Goran 2017
Pan troglodytes troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla 2012 2310.0 Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area Line transects N'Goran 2017

Sampling methods Analytical frameworks

Threats

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Category Specific threats Threat level Description Year of threat
5 Biological resource use 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals High (more than 70% of population affected) Growing demand for bushmeat from distant urban areas (Dzanga-Sangha). Active hunting pressures mapped during participatory ZCC mission; snares, cartridges, camps detected (DSPA Newsletter 2024). 2020-Ongoing (2024)
5 Biological resource use 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting Present (unknown severity) Since 2014, two companies have each been granted a logging and administrative permit. Logging by the two companies will be completed by 2020. At that point, their concession permit can be extended or renewed (Dzanga-Sangha). 2014-Ongoing (2020)
8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases 8.4 Pathogens Present (unknown severity) Increased risk of disease transmission from humans (Dzanga-Sangha). Ongoing (2020)

Threats

Conservation activities

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Category Specific activity Description Implementing organization(s) Year of activity
2 Counter-wildlife crime 2.11 Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g., SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of patrols A monitoring system has been established that not only tracks wildlife species but also examines, for example, how human pressure affects natural resources. In addition, we record the spatial distribution of habitats, monitor changes in forest area, and collect data on timber usage (Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025). Ongoing (2025)
2 Counter-wildlife crime 2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols Anti-poaching patrols (Dzanga-Sangha). A total of 41 patrols were carried out with the participation of 86 rangers, amounting to 1,673 ranger-days and covering nearly 2,000 km on foot (DSPA Newsletter 2024). DSPA Protection & Surveillance Department 2018-Ongoing (2024)
3 Species health 3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and anthrax can be transmitted between humans and animals. To protect both people and wildlife, Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area developed an early warning system in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute, and since 2022, they had been working with the Helmholtz Institute for One Health. They noted that this approach helps prevent deadly outbreaks and supports the health of wildlife populations safeguarding ecotourism as a vital source of income for local communities (Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas 2025). In addition, Malaria diagnostic tests (Giemsa stain) were introduced (DSPA Newsletter 2024). Dzanga-Sangha National Protected Area, Helmholtz Institute for One Health 2022-Ongoing (2025)
5 Protection & restoration 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat The area encompasses Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve 1990-Ongoing (2026)
6 Species management 6.1 Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers Visitors have the privilege of tracking gorillas and mangabeys who are used to the presence of humans, thanks to the Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) (Dzanga-Sangha). 1997-Ongoing (2020)
7 Economic & other incentives 7.2 Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., better education, infrastructure development) Support community health through a mobile unit and health care centers; supporting schools with money for teaching materials, teacher salaries, and student fees (Dzanga-Sangha]). School supplies distributed to 1 480 students (32 primary, 2 high schools), maintenance and installation of solar plants at Dzanga and Belemboke (DSPA Newsletter 2024). DSPA Community Department, CSSS team, EU NaturAfrica initiative, WWF 2019-Ongoing (2024)
8 Permanent presence 8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site Eco-tourism project (Dzanga-Sangha). Ongoing (2020)

Conservation activities

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Challenges Specific challenges Source Year(s)
Not reported

Challenges

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Enablers Specific enablers Source Year(s)
2 Resources and capacity 2.6 External partnerships that add expertise or resources DSPA Newsletter 2024 Ongoing (2024)
3 Engaged community 3.6 Local community engagement and support DSPA Newsletter 2024 Ongoing (2024)
4 Institutional support 4.3 Strong transboundary cooperation UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2012 2012-Ongoing (2025)
1 Site management
5 Ecological context
6 Safety and stability

Enablers

Research activities

Researchers from around the world come to Dzanga-Sangha to study wildlife and rainforest ecology, with findings guiding park management. Research also helps understand community impacts, human-wildlife conflicts like crop damage by elephants, and disease transmission risks. Their work includes a zoonoses project and a Primate Habituation Programme to support ecotourism (Research in Dzanga-Sangha). A study was also carried out. A deeper investigation into his injuries suggests they were the result of a fight with another male. Silverbacks can engage in physical confrontations during sexual competition, sometimes injuring or even killing their rivals (Potel et al., 2024).


Documented behaviours

Table 7. Behaviours documented for Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Category Behavior Observation type Prevalence Observation dates Source Habituation Species Comment
Not reported

Behaviours

Exposure to climate change impacts

As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, Kiribou et al. (2024) extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, www.isimip.org). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period. For 1981-2010, the EWEMBI dataset from ISIMIP2a was used. For the two future periods (2021-2050 and 2071-2099) ISIMIP2b climate data based on four CMIP5 global climate models were used. For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period.

The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated (Kiribou et al. 2024).

Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Value 1981-2010 2021-2050, RCP 2.6 2021-2050, RCP 6.0 2071-2099, RCP 2.6 2071-2099, RCP 6.0
Mean temperature [C] 24.4 25.7 25.6 26 26.9
Annual precipitation [mm] 1579 1576 1632 1639 1629
Max no. consecutive dry days (per year) 24.5 24.3 24.4 20.8 26.7
No. days with heavy precipitation (per year) 6.5 10.2 11.6 11 11.8


Table 9. Projected exposure of apes to extreme climate impact events in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

Type No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 2.6) % of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 2.6) No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 6.0) % of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 6.0) No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 2.6) % of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 2.6) No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 6.0) % of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)
Crop failure 11.5 0.01 5.5 0.01 9 0.01 17.5 0.02
Drought 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 16.07
Heatwave 3 33.33 2.5 70.83 4.5 55.56 12 73.21
River flood 0 0 1.5 0.34 1 0.04 1 0.96
Tropical cyclone 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wildfire 30 0.87 30 0.87 29 0.81 29 0.78


  • Precipitation anomaly in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area
  • Temperature anomaly in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area

External links

Dzanga-Sangha

References

Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas. (2025). Research in Dzanga-Sangha. https://dzanga-sangha.org/research/

N’Goran, K. P. (2017). Summary report on WWF biomonitoring activities from 2014 to 2016: Status of forest elephant and great apes in Central Africa priority sites. https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF_CA_Biomonitoring_Report.pdf

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