Rubondo Island National Park

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Summary

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• Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are present in Rubondo Island.
• It has been estimated that a minimum 35 chimpanzees inhabited the site in 2014.
• The population trend is increasing.
• Between 1966 and 1969, 16 chimpanzees were introduced to the island from European zoos and circuses as part of a conservation project led by Professor Bernhard Grzimek of the Frankfurt Zoological Society.

Site characteristics

Rubondo Island, located in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, is home to a unique population of chimpanzees. Between 1966 and 1969, 16 chimpanzees were introduced to the island from European zoos and circuses as part of a conservation project led by Professor Bernhard Grzimek of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. Rubondo Island spans approximately 237 square kilometers and is rich in fruit-bearing plants that produce food year-round, including figs. With fruit making up about 90% of a chimpanzee's diet, the island, though not their original habitat, provides a highly suitable environment for them to flourish (Rabel 2022).

Table 1. Basic site information for Rubondo Island National Park

Species	Pan troglodytes
Area	456.8 km²
Coordinates	Lat: -2.349904 , Lon: 31.858763
Type of site	Protected area (National Park)
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Grassland
Type of governance	Governance by government

Types of sites Governance types Habitat types

Ape status

Between 1966 and 1969, 17 chimpanzees were transported to Rubondo Island in four cohorts. One female died in transit, resulting in a total of 16 individuals released (Msindai et al. 2021). Successive population estimates recorded the following figures: a minimum of 20 individuals in 1983 (Borner 1988); between 24 and 32 individuals in 1994 (Müller & Anzenberger 1995); between 27 and 35 individuals in 2004 (Moscovice 2006); and a minimum of 35 invidividuals in 2014 (Msindai et al. 2021).

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Rubondo Island National Park

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	2014				35.0	Rubondo Island (237 km²)	Unknown		Msindai et al. 2021	Estimate based on nest counts
Pan troglodytes	2004				27-35	Rubondo Island (237 km²)	Unknown		Moscovice 2006
Pan troglodytes	1994				24-32	Rubondo Island (237 km²)	Unknown		Müller & Anzenberger 1995
Pan troglodytes	1983				20.0	Rubondo Island (237 km²)	Unknown		Borner 1988	Estimate based on nest counts
Pan troglodytes	1966-1969				16.0	Rubondo Island (237 km²)	Full count		Msindai et al. 2021

Sampling methods Analytical frameworks

Conservation activities

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Rubondo Island National Park

Category	Specific activity	Description	Implementing organization(s)	Year of activity
3 Species health	3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities	The national park was provided funding by TANAPA to build a health center in Ikuza village (Mwishawa & Haule 2019).	TANAPA (RINP)	2016
4 Education & awareness	4.2 Involve local community in ape research and conservation management	The Rubondo Island National Park provides conservation education to raise awareness in communities around the park but also provides employment opportunities to the community members (Mwishawa & Haule 2019).	TANAPA and Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots	Ongoing (2015)
6 Species management	6.1 Habituate primates to human presence to reduce stress from tourists/researchers	In 1997, the FZS, with the support of the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), launched a project aimed at habituating the chimpanzees on Rubondo Island (Moscovice et al. 2007). By 2003, the chimpanzees had become semi-habituated (Moscovice et al. 2010).	TANAPA and FZS	1997-Ongoing (2003)
7 Economic & other incentives	7.1 Provide monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., REDD, alternative income, employment)	Rubondo Island National Park supports community initiated projects and one of the ways it does so is by providing education to income-generating groups but also providing soft loans to these groups (Mwishawa & Haule 2019).	TANAPA (RINP)	Ongoing (2019)

Conservation activities

References

Borner, M. (1988). Translocation of 7 mammal species to Rubondo Island National Park in Tanzania. In L. Nielsen & R. D. Brown (Eds.), Translocation of wild animals (pp. 117–122). Wisconsin Humane Society; Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute.

Moscovice, L. R. (2006). Behavioral ecology of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) on Rubondo Island, Tanzania: Habitat, diet, grouping and ranging at a release site [Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin–Madison].

Moscovice, L. R., Issa, M. H., Petrzelkova, K. J., Keuler, N. S., Snowdon, C. T., & Huffman, M. A. (2007). Fruit availability, chimpanzee diet, and grouping patterns on Rubondo Island, Tanzania. American Journal of Primatology, 69(5), 487–502.

Moscovice, L. R., Mbago, F., Snowdon, C. T., & Huffman, M. A. (2010). Ecological features and ranging patterns at a chimpanzee release site on Rubondo Island, Tanzania. Biological Conservation, 143(11), 2711–2721.

Müller, G., & Anzenberger, G. (1995). Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) of Rubondo Island, Tanzania. Anthropologisches Institut der Universität Zürich.

Msindai, J. N., Roos, C., Schürmann, F., & Sommer, V. (2021). Population history of chimpanzees introduced to Lake Victoria’s Rubondo Island. Primates, 62(2), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00884-5

Mwishawa, M. G., & Haule, C. B. (2019). Influence of community involvement on containment of illegal use of natural resources in protected areas: A case of outreach programme in Rubondo Island National Park. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Forestry and Tourism (ICFT) (p. 49).

Rabel, K. (2022). An island where chimpanzees rule. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://fzs.org/en/news/an-island-where-chimpanzees-rule/

Page created by: Priscilla Stanley Shao Date: 2024-12-09