Lossi Sanctuary

 

Full Name of Site

 

Lossi Reserve Faunal

 

Country

 

Republic of Congo, Cuvette Ouest

 

Location of base camp

00º14’09”N in latitude and 14º30’12”E in longitude
 

Status

Faunal Reserve
 

Area- study area

Study area (50 km²); faunal reserve (350 km²)
 

Study Period

1994-1996, 1998, 2000-2001
 

Focus of Project

Integrated Conservation and Development Project
 

Altitude

300-450m
 

Rainfall

1509 mm (1994-1996)
 

Research Presence

permanent
 

Habituation

excellent
 

Types of questions?

Diet, ranging, social behavior, demography, censusing
 

Conservation Projects?

involvement in reserve management
 

Species studied in addition to WLGs

Chimpanzees
 

Distance to closest village in km

28 km from Lengui-Lengui
 

Types of vegetation present at Site

savanna absence
gallery forest absence
previously logged secondary forest presence
streambed presence
open understory forest (Primary) presence
monodominant (Gilbertiodendron) absence
Light gaps absence
Marantaceae forest dominant
Swamp Forest presence
Bais absence
 

Mammalian community

chimpanzees weekly
elephants monthly
buffalo absence
monkeys
Cercocebus galeritus daily
Lophocebus albigena daily
Cercopithecus cephus daily
Cercopithecus nictitans daily
Cercopithecus pogonias daily
Cercopithecus neglectus daily
Miopithecus talapoin daily
Colobus guerza daily
red river hog weekly
giant forest hog absence
 

Human Influence

selective logging absence
hunting (snares. Traces, shots fired) monthly (human traces, shots heard)
gorillas a target? Gorillas are not a specific target of hunting in the area
agriculture- distance to nearest field > 5km. Lossi forest appears to be the site of a village abandoned 60 yr ago as part of the colonial government´s resettlement policy.
tourism irregular (monthly?)
 

predators

Leopard (Panthera pardus): high , (Homo sapiens):low
 

Methods Used

Indirect evidence (trail, feces) yes
Nest to nest tracking daily
Direct behavioral sampling yes
focal subject sampling 1996, 1998, 2000-2001
 

Contact Information

 

Conrad Aveling, Coordinator of ECOFAC Program, B.P. 11115 Libreville (Gabon)

 

Bibliography

M. BERMEJO and G. ILLERA
TITLE: Tool-set for termite-fishing and honey extraction by wild chimpanzees in the Lossi Forest, Congo. PRIMATES, 40(4):619-627, 1999
M. BERMEJO
TITLE: Status and conservation of primates in Odzala National Park, Republic of the Congo. ORYX, 33(4):323-331, 1999
M. BERMEJO and G. ILLERA
TITLE: New records on wood_eating by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Lossi forest, North Congo. AMERICAN J. OF PRIMATOLOGY (in review)