Report on the Ongoing Research in Kahuzi-Biega

During the last couple of months, we have been continuing our studies on gorillas and chimpanzees in Kasirusiru, Tshibati and Tshivanga. The two gorilla groups that we observed at the above-mentioned locations are already beginning to become more and more accustomed to the presence of people. Meanwhile we can approach the animals at a distance of 5-6 m in open space and at about 10 m in dense vegetation.
The routes that the gorillas take while foraging obviously follow the paths of elephants, as the latter create small clearings by knocking down trees; in these places, plants start to grow that are preferred by the gorillas. Chimpanzees forage in small groups, but if there is abundant fruit, particularly figs, several groups are feeding together. Fecal analyses are still going on, and the results will be probably available by the end of the year.
We observed that elephants, gorillas and other animals cross the road which passes through the park while foraging. Therefore, we assume that the traffic on this road does not present any particular barrier between both parts of the park. In addition, we observed that habituated gorilla families forage and feed by the roadside. We hope to be able to compare the frequency of the animal movement to the number of cars, which are registered in Tshivanga, by the end of this year.
Altogether, our work is making good progress. A large forested area near the corridor that connects the old and the new part of the park has been severely destructed. However, the responsible authorities are trying to solve the conflicts which have led to this destruction through negotiations with the persons concerned. We hope that the Zairean Government will contribute to the clarification of the situation.

Mbake Sivha

Mbake Sivha studied biology at the University of Kisangani, Zaire, and worked in the IZCN/GTZ conservation project at Kahuzi-Biega National Park. She then specialized at Würzburg University, Germany, in animal ecology, biology of the tropics and sensitisation of the population for environmental problems. From 1994 to 1999 she worked in the IZCN/GTZ project in sensitization and primate research. After joining the IGCP for some years, she is now working for FFI.

Kahuzi-Biega overview

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