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Protecting habitats: conserving great apes in key sites worldwide
The habitat of many great apes receives direct support and protection under the auspice of UNESCO. Great apes may live within or across areas that are recognized for their outstanding value to humanity and listed as World Heritage sites. They also appear within labelled "biosphere Reserves", i.e. ecosystem areas managed for sustainable biodiversity.

 

Conserving great apes within World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves
Many great apes are protected in UNESCO-designated sites such as World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves. For example:

 

 

 

  
  • Gunung Leuser National Park of Northern Sumatra (Indonesia) is an important habitat for orangutans and is a biosphere reserve as well as part of the World Heritage site of Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
  • the Volcans National Park of Rwanda is home to mountain gorillas and is a Biosphere Reserve
  • Virunga and Kahuzi Biega National Parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that are home to mountain and Grauer's gorillas, are both World Heritage sites.
    But law enforcement and protected areas such as World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves are just one element of conservation.

Using protected sites as hubs for knowledge
Studies are also underway in several UNESCO biosphere reserves that are home to chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan. The studies are combined with a variety of projects to reconcile conservation with the needs of local communities.

Over 20 protected areas

Country

Biosphere Reserve
(designation date)

World Heritage Site
(designation date)

 Great Ape Wild Populations
Cameroon Dja (1981) Dja Faunal Reserve (1987) Gorillas (G. g. gorilla) + Chimpanzees (Pan t. troglodytes)
Congo Odzala (1977)   Gorillas (G. g. gorilla) + Chimpanzees (Pan t. troglodytes)
Côte d'Ivoire Taï (1977) Taï National Park (1982) Chimpanzees (Pan t. verus)
Comoé (1983) Comoé National Park (1983) Chimpanzees (Pan t. verus)
Democratic Rep. of Congo   Virunga National Park (1979) Gorillas (Gorillas b. beringe; Gorilla b. graueri) + Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
  Garamba National Park (1980) Chimpanzees (Pan t. troglodytes)
  Kahuzi-Biega National Park (1981) Gorillas (Gorilla b. graueri) + Chimpanzees (Pan t. schweinfurthii)
  Salonga National Park (1984) Bonobos (Pan paniscus)
  Okapi Wildlife Reserve (1996) Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Guinea Monts Nimba (1980) Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (1981) - with Côte d'Ivoire Chimpanzees (Pan t. verus)
Massif du Ziama (1980)   Chimpanzees (Pan t. verus)
Indonesia Gunung Leuser (1981)   Orangutans (P. p. abelii)
Tanjung Puting (1977)   Orangutans (P. p. pygmaeus
Rwanda Volcans (1983)   Gorillas (Gorillas b. beringei)
Senegal Niokolo-Koba (1981) Niokolo-Koba National Park (1981) Chimpanzees (Pan t. verus)
Uganda Queen Elizabeth (1979) Rwenzori Mountains National Park (1994) Chimpanzees (Pan t. schweinfurthii)
  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (1994) Gorillas (Gorillas b. beringei) + Chimpanzees (Pan t. schweinfurthii)

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Updated: 23/07/2008
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