Site-Based Conservation
Although a large portion of the Goualougo Triangle in northern Congo was annexed to the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in June 2003, almost a third of the study area remains in a logging concession and is scheduled for timber extraction in the near future. With this expansion of development in the region, these chimpanzees and their habitat will become increasingly vulnerable to the human influences often described at other sites. This long-term research program is focused on providing detailed and timely information on how chimpanzees and gorillas respond to direct and indirect disturbances associated with timber extraction and human expansion in the region. These results will be used to design and implement forestry practices aimed at protecting apes from the detrimental effects of mechanized logging and human development.