JGI UGANDA FIELD PROGRAMMES
Census Programme
In order to identify priority areas for chimpanzee conservation efforts in Uganda, the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) held a meeting in Entebbe, Uganda in 1997. At the meeting several recommendations were made to improve the chances of long term survival for Uganda's chimpanzees, of which one was to survey and census the population. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) undertook a survey of chimpanzees in all of the major forests in Uganda between 1999 and 2002.
The results of the surveys indicate that there are approximately 5,000 chimpanzees in Uganda, primarily in the large forest blocks in the west. While chimpanzee distribution throughout these forests is largely concentrated in protected National Parks and Forest Reserves, small communities occur in forest fragments outside these areas.
This was a joint project with the Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS), with support from the Global Environment Fund, Total Uganda Ltd., Uganda Breweries Ltd., and the Crane Bank, Uganda.
Download a copy of "The Status of Chimpanzees In Uganda" report (Adobe PDF 3MB), see http://www.albertinerift.org/ (technical reports, number 2)
Forest
|
Density
Kmsq
|
Nest building chimps
|
* With correction factors
|
95% confidence limits
|
|
Budongo FR
|
1.36
|
580.80
|
639.41
|
392-796
|
|
Wambabya FR
|
3.62
|
123.84
|
136.34
|
117-156
|
|
Bugoma FR
|
1.90
|
570.00
|
627.52
|
467-847
|
|
Kasato FR
|
0.08
|
2.15
|
2.37
|
2-3
|
|
Kagombe FR
|
0.71
|
80.44
|
88.56
|
32-240
|
|
Kitechura FR
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0
|
|
Ibambaro FR
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0
|
|
Matiri FR
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0
|
|
Muhangi FR
|
0.65
|
13.30
|
14.64
|
13-17
|
|
Kibego FR
|
0.75
|
9.58
|
10.54
|
9-12
|
|
Itwara FR
|
1.35
|
116.64
|
128.41
|
71-230
|
|
Semuliki NP
|
0.21
|
45.55
|
50.15
|
43-57
|
|
Ruwenzori Mountains NP
|
0.46
|
454.18
|
500.01
|
428-573
|
|
Kibale NP
|
2.32
|
1298.08
|
1429.08
|
899-1,778
|
|
Kasyoha-Kitomi FR
|
0.92
|
368.68
|
405.88
|
275-363
|
|
Kalinzu FR
|
1.55
|
212.62
|
234.08
|
132-418
|
|
Maramagambo Forest
|
0.46
|
202.01
|
222.39
|
190-255
|
|
Bwindi Impenetrable NP
|
0.60
|
193.24
|
212.74
|
182-243
|
|
Echuya FR
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimates for low density sites
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otzi FR
|
|
25
|
27.52
|
20-40
|
|
Semuliki WR
|
|
60
|
66.06
|
40-90
|
|
Cyambura WR
|
|
50
|
55.05
|
30-70
|
|
Kagorra region
|
0.3
|
12.90
|
14.20
|
10-40
|
|
South of Bugoma
|
|
|
|
|
|
Between Bugoma & Budongo
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
* Corrections factors were calculated by dividing the number of chimpanzee nest counted by 1.09 to correct for number of nest built per day by weaned chimpanzees then multiplying by 1.20 to correct the percentage of females with offspring aged four year and under. Nb. Bwindi density uses reconnaissance data.
There is a need to re-survey the major forests on a 5 year interval basis to measure the population trends of the chimpanzees in these forests. JGI Uganda and the Budongo Field Conservation Station, are planning to recount the chimpanzee population in Budongo in 2008. WCS has recounted the chimpanzees in Kibale and Kasyoha-Kitomi-Kalinzu Complex.
