Bai Hokou

Full Name of Site Bai Hokou, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
Country Central African Republic
Location of base camp 2°50’N, 16°28’E
Status National Park
Area- study area 40km²; Dzanda-Ndoki National Park=1222km², surrounded by the
Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve=3150km²
Study Period 1986-89; 1992-94; 1994-96 previous studies.Current study: 1998-ongoing
Focus of Project Ecotourism
Altitude 400-480m altitude
Rainfall mean 1813 mm; range 1543.5-2083;1999-2000
Research Presence Permanent
Habituation Fair
Types of questions? Diet, ranging, social behavior, health
Conservation Projects? Broad conservation program, including ecotourism, education in
schools, guards’ training, park management etc.
Species studied in addition to WLGs Chimpanzees, opportunistically
Distance to closest village in km 30km
Types of vegetation present at Site
savanna absent
gallery forest absent
previously logged secondary forest present
streambed present
open understory forest (Primary) present
monodominant (Gilbertiodendron) present
Light gaps present
Marantaceae forest present
Swamp Forest absent
Bais present
Mammalian community
chimpanzees monthly
elephants daily
buffalo weekly
monkeys
Cercocebus agilis daily
Lophocebus albigena daily
Cercopithecus cephus daily
Cercopithecus nictitans daily
Cercopithecus pogonias daily
Cercopithecus neglectus
Piliocolobus badius
Colobus guerza weekly
red river hog weekly
giant forest hog rare
Human Influence
selective logging presence between 1971-85 (still occurring in the Reserve)
hunting (snares. Traces, shots fired) snares rarely, human traces monthly, shots heard monthly
gorillas a target? no
agriculture- distance to nearest field >25km
tourism monthly
Predators Homo sapiens and Panthera pardus
Methods Used
Indirect evidence (trail, feces) yes
Nest to nest tracking yes
Direct behavioral sampling yes
focal subject sampling no
Contact Information Chloe’ Cipolletta chloe@les-raisting.de
Bibliography Carroll, R. (1996) Feeding Ecology of Lowland Gorillas in the
Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve of the Central African Rep.
Ph. D. Thesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Goldsmith, M. (1996) Ecological influences on the ranging and
grouping behaviour of western lowland gorillas at Bai Hokou,
Central African Republic.
Ph. D. Thesis, State University of NY, Stony Brook, NY.
Fay, J.M. (1997) The Ecology, Social Organization, Population,
Habitat, and History of the Western Lowland Gorilla. Ph.D. Thesis,
Washington University, MS.