La Belgique
Central Africa > Cameroon > La Belgique
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Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in La Belgique.
- The population size is unknown.
- The population trend is unknown.
- The total area of the site is 32.4 km².
- The major reported threats include bushmeat hunting and the gathering of non-timber forest products.
- The main conservation activities include education and awareness-raising, providing monetary benefits to the local community, and conducting research and tourism projects.
Site characteristics
Table 1. Basic site information for La Belgique
| Species | Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla |
| Area | 32.4 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: 3.560550 , Lon: 13.298692 |
| Type of site | Non-protected area |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical dry 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
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for La Belgique
| 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 | 2009-2010 | 0.13 (0.07-0.24) | Forest management unit 10047 | Line transects | Distance sampling with survey specific decay time | Tagg & Willlie, 2013 | Estimate from old transects; however, estimate from new transects higher: 0.32 [0.25-0.41] | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 2009-2010 | 0.09 (0.04-0.21) | Forest management unit 10047 | Line transects | Distance sampling with survey specific decay time | Tagg & Willlie, 2013 | Estimate from old transects; however, estimate from new transects higher: 0.15 [0.04-0.59] |
Sampling methods Analytical frameworks
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for La Belgique
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1.1 Subsistence bushmeat hunting | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Signs of human presence (e.g. signs of hunting) reduced density of apes (Tagg & Willie, 2013). | 2009-2010 |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Evidence for non-timber forest products collection (Tagg & Willies, 2013) | 2009-2010 |
| 8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | 8.4 Pathogens | Present (unknown severity) | Potential risk of disease transmission between humans and apes, in both directions (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1.5 Persecution/human wildlife conflict | Present (unknown severity) | Conflicts between humans and great apes occurs due to feelings of insecurity among people, aggressive interactions initiated by apes, competition over shared water sources and natural resources like forest fruits, accidental meetings on trails, and cases where apes are killed for cultural practices or commercial purposes (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for La Belgique
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | A secondary conservation activity of 'Projet Grands Singes' (Zoo Science 2024). Awareness raising and educating local people about great apes (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Projet Grands Singes/Antwerp Zoo's Center for Research and Conservation | 2001-Ongoing (2025) |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.2 Involve local community in ape research and conservation management | Local communities and Indigenous people are involved in conservation programs and actively participate in decision-making by sharing their opinions on which alternative income-generating activities are most appropriate for them before implementation (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) | |
| 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) | A secondary conservation activity of 'Projet Grands Singes'. ‘Reciprocal Environmental Agreements’ between PGS and individual local people to reduce poaching intensity for alternative sources of income, including technical support in the development of cocoa production and fishing (Zoo Science 2024). Employment opportunities where, local people are hired to work in conservation programs (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Projet Grands Singes/Antwerp Zoo's Center for Research and Conservation | 2001-Ongoing (2025) |
| 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) | Supporting and developing ecotourism initiatives, creating new income sources, and providing services that promote community health, wellbeing, education, and life skills (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) | |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.1 Run research project and ensure permanent human presence at site | The conservation and development project 'Projet Grands Singes' (PGS), an initiative of Antwerp Zoo’s Centre for Research and Conservation, started research activities in 2001 to protect endangered species and help local communities in sustainable natural resource management (Zoo Science 2024). | Projet Grands Singes/Antwerp Zoo's Center for Research and Conservation | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | A secondary conservation activity of 'Projet Grands Singes' (Zoo Science 2024). | Projet Grands Singes/Antwerp Zoo's Center for Research and Conservation | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 2 Counter-wildlife crime | 2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols | Patrols and law enforcement operations aimed at controlling illegal activities have been reported (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.6 Habitat restoration | Protecting and restoring forests activities reported (D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025). | Ongoing (2025) |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for La Belgique
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Engaged community | 3.2 Lack of youth engagement | Zoo Science 2024 | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 3 Engaged community | 3.5 Anticipated disadvantages/costs created by conservation activities (e.g., restricted access/resource use) | Zoo Science 2024 | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.3 General lack of funding | D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025 | Ongoing (2025) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.1 Lack of capacity/training | D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025 | Ongoing (2025) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.2 Lack of staff | D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025 | Ongoing (2025) |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for La Belgique
| Enablers | Specific enablers | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Engaged community | 3.5 Positive past experience/associations with conservation (e.g. postivie image of conservation) | Tagg et al. 2015, Zoo Science 2024 | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 3 Engaged community | 3.6 Local community engagement and support | Tagg et al. 2015, Zoo Science 2024 | 2001-Ongoing (2024) |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.6 External partnerships that add expertise or resources | D. Mbohli & N. Tagg. pers. comm. 2025 | Ongoing (2025) |
Research activities
'Projet Grands Singes' (PGS) has been managing the research site 'La Belgique' is since 2001 supported by Antwerp Zoo’s Centre for Research and Conservation (Tagg et al., 2015). Focus of the research program is great ape socio-ecology and surveys.
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for La Belgique
| Category | Behavior | Observation type | Prevalence | Observation dates | Source | Habituation | Species | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not reported |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
References
Tagg, N., & Willie, J. (2013). The influence of transect use by local people and reuse of transects for repeated surveys on nesting in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodyte s) in southeast Cameroon. International Journal of Primatology, 34(3), 554-570.
Page created by: Winnie Eckardt Date: 2024-11-30 09:34:00
Page updated by: Dr Nikki Tagg & Donald Mbohli Date: 2025-11-04