Mayombe National Park

Central Africa > Angola > Mayombe National Park

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Summary

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• Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Mayombe National Park.
• The population size is unknown.
• The population trend is unknown.
• Logging, both subsistence and commercial, are major threats to the site, as well as hunting, mining, live trade of infant great apes, and growing agricultural activities.
• Conservation activities have focused on education and awareness raising, conducting regular anti-poaching patrols, and removing ground snares.

Site characteristics

The Mayombe Forest is a vast transboundary rainforest spanning approximately 10,000 km² across Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cabinda (Angola). As the westernmost extension of the Guineo-Congolian biome, its dense, humid forests connect the Congo Basin to the Atlantic coast, forming a critical ecological corridor that supports exceptional biodiversity and facilitates genetic exchange across national borders (Cravo-Mota et al. 2026). Within the southwestern part of this forest lies Mayombe National Park (MNP), covering approximately 2,000 km². The park protects one of Angola's last remaining intact blocks of tropical rainforest and represents a key stronghold for the country's forest biodiversity (Cravo-Mota et al. 2026).

Table 1. Basic site information for Mayombe National Park

Species	Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Area	1,930 km²
Coordinates	Lat: -4.678906 , Lon: 12.720164
Type of site	Protected area (National Park)
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest
Type of governance	Governance by government

Types of sites Governance types Habitat types

Ape status

The presence of chimpanzees and gorillas in the park was confirmed in 2023 (Cravo-Mota et al. 2026).

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Mayombe 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 troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla	2024	Present				Mayombe National Park, central-western sector (60 km²)	Line transects & recces		Cravo-Mota et al. 2026
Pan troglodytes troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla	2023	Present				Mayombe National Park, central-western sector (60 km²)	Camera trap		Cravo-Mota et al. 2026

Sampling methods Analytical frameworks

Threats

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Mayombe National Park

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Description	Year of threat
5 Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Present (unknown severity)	Most of the species hunted are not great apes, but a small number of local hunters connected to the illegal trade in Cabinda and neighbouring countries do target them (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
5 Biological resource use	5.1.3 Commercial bushmeat trade	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Anarchic logging is practiced for subsistence and commercial use (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
5 Biological resource use	5.3.1 Subsistence logging	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Anarchic logging is practiced for subsistence and commercial use (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
5 Biological resource use	5.1.4 Capture for the live animal trade	Present (unknown severity)	Gorilla and chimpanzee infants are captured alive for the illegal pet trade (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
2 Agriculture & aquaculture	2.1.1 Shifting agriculture	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Habitat loss due to slash-and-burn cultivation (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
3 Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Illegal mining activities (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)
2 Agriculture & aquaculture	2.3 Livestock farming & ranching	Low (up to 30% of population affected)	Small scale husbandry of pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks, limited to subsistence use (Ron 2020).	Ongoing (2020)

Threats

Conservation activities

A management plan for Mayombe National Park was developed in 2019 through an extensive stakeholder consultation process involving government agencies, park staff, local communities, traditional leaders, and the private sector (Ron 2020). The plan outlines management actions to address key conservation threats, including a zoning scheme and a proposed park expansion based on ecological and social considerations. While implementation has been partially supported through projects funded by UNDP-GEF, FAO, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, additional funding and cross-border collaboration remain essential. The plan emphasizes community participation and sustainable livelihood development, consistent with Angola's protected area legislation, while the Jane Goodall Institute provides technical support and assists with the rehabilitation of confiscated great apes (Ron 2020).

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Mayombe National Park

Category	Specific activity	Description	Implementing organization(s)	Year of activity
5 Protection & restoration	5.2 Legally protect ape habitat	The national park was established in 2011.		2011-Ongoing (2026)
2 Counter-wildlife crime	2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols	Foot and road patrols by rangers (Ron 2020).		Ongoing (2020)
2 Counter-wildlife crime	2.6 Regularly de-activate/remove ground snares	Rangers de-activate and remove snares (Ron 2020).		Ongoing (2020)
4 Education & awareness	4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use	Park rangers engage in community outreach and education (Ron 2020).		Ongoing (2020)

Conservation activities

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Mayombe National Park

Challenges	Specific challenges	Source	Year(s)
2 Resources and capacity	2.3 General lack of funding	Ron 2020	Ongoing (2020)

Challenges

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Mayombe National Park

Enablers	Specific enablers	Source	Year(s)
4 Institutional support	4.3 Strong transboundary cooperation	Ron 2020	Ongoing (2020)
3 Engaged community	3.6 Local community engagement and support	Ron 2020	Ongoing (2020)

Enablers

References

Cravo-Mota, M., Lutondo, E. K., Mbenza, J. M., Catuti, G. D., Simão, T., Segunda, D., ... & Carvalho, S. (2026). A new southern limit for the distribution of African great apes: Sympatric western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) confirmed in Mayombe National Park, Angola. Primates, 1–7.

Ron, T. (2020, November). The struggle for survival in the Maiombe Forest continues. Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe e.V. https://www.berggorilla.org/en/gorillas/species/western-gorillas/articles-western-gorillas/the-struggle-for-survival-in-the-maiombe-forest-continues/

Page created by: APES Atlas Team Date: 2026-07-22