Sierra Leone Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Programme Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census September 2010 Terry M. Brncic – Scientific Project Manager Bala Amarasekaran – Programme Director Anita McKenna – Project Coordinator Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary P.O. Box 469 Freetown Sierra Leone Tel: +232 (0)76 611211 / (0)33 611211 / (0)77 611211 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tacugama.com Blog: http://tacugama.wildlifedirect.org Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary - Sierra Leone Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Programme TABLE OF CONTENTS Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary ................................................................................................... 5 The Report Authors .......................................................................................................................... 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................... 6 Census donors ..................................................................................................................................... 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 8 1 BACKGROUND TO THE CENSUS ....................................................................................... 9 1.1 Chimpanzee status in Sierra Leone ....................................................................................... 9 1.2 The need for a nationwide survey and objectives ............................................................... 10 1.3 Scope ................................................................................................................................... 11 2 ABOUT SIERRA LEONE ...................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Physical ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Political and social............................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Fauna ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 National conservation strategies .......................................................................................... 14 2.5 Previous chimpanzee surveys in Sierra Leone .................................................................... 15 2.5.1 Nationwide ............................................................................................................................................. 15 2.5.2 Bumbuna Dam Catchment...................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.3 Loma Mountains Non-Hunting Forest Reserve ...................................................................................... 16 2.5.4 Outamba-Kilimi National Park ............................................................................................................... 16 2.5.5 Gola Forest Reserves .............................................................................................................................. 17 2.6 Chimpanzee behaviour ........................................................................................................ 17 3 METHODS ............................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Pre-survey questionnaires.................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Pilot interview study ............................................................................................................ 18 3.3 Block survey design for non-protected areas ...................................................................... 18 3.3.1 Block interviews ..................................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.2 Block transect placement ........................................................................................................................ 20 3.4 Protected area surveys ......................................................................................................... 21 3.4.1 Distance line transects ............................................................................................................................ 21 3.4.2 Reconnaissance (recce) surveys ............................................................................................................. 22 3.5 Estimation of auxiliary variables ......................................................................................... 22 3.5.1 Nest Duration ......................................................................................................................................... 22 3.5.2 Nest production rate and nest re-use ....................................................................................................... 23 3.5.3 Proportion of nest builders ..................................................................................................................... 24 3.6 Data analysis........................................................................................................................ 24 SLNCCP_Final_Report_TCS_Sep2010.doc Page 2 of 115 © 2010 Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary - Sierra Leone Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Programme 3.7 Access to fieldwork locations.............................................................................................. 25 4 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................. 26 4.1 Questionnaires ..................................................................................................................... 26 4.2 Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 27 4.2.1 Moyamba District pilot study ................................................................................................................. 27 4.2.2 Lake Sonfon and Tonkoli Forest Reserve interviews ............................................................................. 28 4.2.3 Block interviews ..................................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.4 Supplementary information from block interviews ................................................................................ 30 4.2.5 Predicted density stratification ............................................................................................................... 33 4.3 Transect results .................................................................................................................... 35 4.3.1 Block transects........................................................................................................................................ 35 4.3.2 Protected area transects .......................................................................................................................... 36 4.3.3 DISTANCE analysis by stratum ............................................................................................................. 38 4.3.4 Total chimpanzee population of Sierra Leone ........................................................................................ 41 5 INDIVIDUAL PROTECTED AREAS – DETAILED RESULTS ...................................... 43 5.1 Gola Forest Reserves ........................................................................................................... 43 5.1.1 Study area ............................................................................................................................................... 43 5.1.2 2009 Gola Forest Programme chimpanzee survey results ...................................................................... 44 5.1.3 Results of re-analysis .............................................................................................................................. 45 5.1.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 46 5.2 Kambui Hills Forest Reserve .............................................................................................. 46 5.2.1 Study area ............................................................................................................................................... 46 5.2.2 Results .................................................................................................................................................... 47 5.2.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 52 5.3 Kangari Hills Non-Hunting Forest Reserve ........................................................................ 53 5.3.1 Study area ............................................................................................................................................... 53 5.3.2 Previous surveys ..................................................................................................................................... 53 5.3.3 Results ...................................................................................................................................................