Who Shares the Forest in Ekolo ya Bonobo Reserve?

Did you know that the bonobos in Ekolo share the forest with at least 20 other arboreal mammal species? This includes many that are also endangered or vulnerable to extinction!

Research in the Ekolo ya Bonobo Community Reserve is revealing exciting discoveries about the biodiversity of the reserve, all thanks to you!

A systematic survey of mammals began last year and preliminary results are in! When the study is completed, the findings will help to elevate the conservation value of the protected area and strengthen our efforts to protect it.

Read on for preliminary findings from the important research you have made possible!

You're Protecting Bonobos and Much More!

One of the most exciting discoveries was that two tree-dwelling pangolin species live in Ekolo - endangered, white-bellied pangolins and vulnerable black-bellied pangolins.

Wolf’s monkey, a species classified as near threatened and declining, also was spotted. Other more common species seen on camera were De Brazza’s monkey, African palm civet, Allen's swamp monkey and the Central African oyan. More rodents, bats, and shrews were also seen but not identified.

And while the study is focusing on mammals, close to 80 bird species were also recorded! Four of these birds appear to be the first records for Équateur Province and several species, including hornbills - important seed dispersers - are declining throughout their range.

Video shows black-bellied pangolin walking on a tree limb in Ekolo ya Bonobo forest.

De Brazza's monkey (photo not from Ekolo, by Steve Wilson.)

You Supported the Research Team

An important goal of community-based conservation is to ensure that local residents benefit, and providing jobs is one way to do that.

You  made it possible to hire local residents to support the field research.

The team placed 50 motion-activated camera traps in various areas of the reserve last spring. About half of the devices were installed high in the tree canopy and the other half in dense undergrowth.

Daniel Alempijevic and the research team.

Conducting research is difficult in the swamp forest, where there’s little firm ground. The climbing skill of ABC trackers and guards, as well as their specific knowledge of the reserve’s terrain, turned out to be a key factor in the successful installation of the camera traps in the forest.

After several months, the camera traps were collected and more than 2,000 videos were analyzed. The footage revealed a total of 17 identifiable mammals.

DaDaniel Alempijevic, Ph.D., and a crew member place a camera trap in the tree canopy.

Seeking an Elusive Monkey

Conservation scientist Daniel Alempijevic, Ph.D., is leading the study with lead funding from The Rainforest Trust and additional support from Re: Wild and you, our incredible supporters!

Alempijevic particularly hopes to learn if the Dryas monkey lives in the reserve. This colorful monkey has white, brown, and yellow-orange fur and a vivid blue rump.

Dryas monkeys are also known as Salonga monkey, ekele, or inoko. They are quiet in comparison to other forest monkeys and move stealthily through the forest understory.

While it has not yet been seen in Ekolo, conditions are right for this swamp forest-dwelling monkey. The range of this elusive and endangered Congo Basin primate is poorly known, so finding it in Ekolo would be a significant discovery!

Dryas monkey; drawing by Daniel Alempijevic, Ph.D.

A Dryas monkey seen near Lomami National Park; photo by Daniel Alempijevic, Ph.D.

Citizen Science

We are also trying to learn about the smaller and lesser-known animals in Ekolo. The team created an I-naturalist project - "Fauna of the Ekolo ya Bonobo Community Reserve" - where frogs, lizards, insects and other animals that the team encounters in the forest are posted publicly and identified by citizen scientists and taxon-specific experts.

So far, 51 species have been identified through this project, including the first ever live record of a butterfly, Hewitola hewitsonioides !

Hewitola hewitsonioides butterfly sits on ABC Jérémie Boteko, the first recorded live specimen.

More to come!

Because of you, the team returned earlier this year to Ekolo. They placed a second set of 64 camera traps in different areas of the reserve, further toward the interior of the forest. These cameras are still in place.

When collected, they may reveal even more species you are protecting at Ekolo! 

From all of us at Friends of Bonobos and Amis des Bonobo du Congo... Thank you!

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