Eco-Ethology of bonobos, Pan paniscus, in West Democratic Republic of Congo; why are critical data so important for long-term conservation programs?

The Bonobo could be one of the species facing the biggest conservation challenge in the years to come. Endemic to the West Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), its survival depends exclusively on the management measures taken by a country having to deal concomitantly with many problems affecting its development, i.e. demographic explosion, poverty, insecurity and deforestation. But the survival of bonobos, classified as Endangered by IUCN (2010) and restricted to a relatively small range, will require newly designated and effective protected areas. This will imply long-term conservation programs, taking into account the bonobos’ populations requirements, as well as the local socio-economic needs and realities. In 2005, a large population of bonobos has been identified in Western DRC, in a rather eccentric part of the species range compare with the best known populations inhabiting the rainforest of center DRC. The Western region, known as the Lake Tumba Landscape, is characterized by a relatively poor rural human population, an active bushmeat trade, and is divided into several logging concessions and cattle ranches. In 2007, WWF initiated a vast conservation program in the area, including an eco-tourism project involving the habituation of 2 bonobos populations. Until now, only sparse information has been gathered but preliminary studies indicate that habitat use by bonobos – a forest-savannah mosaic – differs substantially from that of other known populations. The objective of the research is to define the eco-ethological profile of those 2 populations. For this purpose, we will characterize diet and food preferences, examine population density and try to identify factors inducing nesting sites’ choice. This information will help understanding habitat use by bonobos in the Western region, and should allow us to come up with specific management measures to be adopted by logging concessions, WWF and ICCN as part of the region’s conservation program.