ANGOLA:

Chimpanzees are known to occur in the Cabinda enclave north of the Zaire River, but the population size is unknown (Lee et al., 1988).

CAMEROON:
Chimpanzees appear to be present throughout the forested areas of Cameroon, especially in Southwest province, and are abundant in areas of habitat removed from human disturbance. Chimps have been confirmed at Mount Cameroon, Korup National Park, Bwombi-Mwo Forest Reserve, Takamanda Forest Reserve, Mount Kupe (sw Cameroon), Douala-Edea Reserve (Littoral province) and Campo Reserve (Southwest province). In southeast Cameroon (Yokadouma-Moloundou) chimps are present at a low density near Yokadouma. They appear more abundant in the evergreen forest of Dja-et-Lobo (Mitani pers. comm.). At Campo Game Reserve a team from the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute estimated the total population in this area to be around 50-100.

Chimps are hunted for their meat throughout their range in Cameroon. A distribution survey and population census are required before conservation measures can be considered.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC:
There has been no nationwide census, but estimates based on areas of suitable habitat range from 800 to 1000 (Lee et al., 1988). Chimps and gorillas are sympatric in Haute Sanga prefecture in the far southwest of the country. The "Dzangha-Sangha gorilla project" run by Carroll and Fay aims to establish the countries first wildlife sanctuary; 1000km2 of the 3000km2 sanctuary will hopefully be set up as a national park (Vedder, 1987). The population density of chimps in that area is estimated to be 0.01 to 0.13/km2, and because it is probably continguous with those in Congo international cooperation is needed to conserve this area (Carroll, 1986).

CONGO:
Little information is available except for that from recent surveys by Tanno in 1985 (Tanno, 1987), Tanno and Kuroda in 1987 (Kuroda pers. comm.), Mitani in 1988, and Moore in 1989 (Moore, 1989). The presence of chimps and gorillas in the northern part of the country, especially along the Libenge and Motaba rivers, was confirmed. Kuroda estimates the population density in the Likouala and Sangha regions as less than 0.5-1.0/km2, excluding swamp forests, and the overall population of chimpanzees in this country as around 10,000. There is no legislation to protect chimps, and the intensity of hunting/poaching is probably high. In 1983 Tanno saw a juvenile chimp on sale in a village market 20km south of Libenge. The juvenile, whose mother had been shot during the capture, was bought by a merchant from Libenge who planned to transport the chimp to the capitol, Bangui, for resale. Tanno also observed bone remains of chimps captured for their meat in three different places in Congo. Local people regard chimp meat as a delicacy and hunt them and other primates with guns, bows and arrows and spears.

30km to the north of Makao Kuroda observed a group of at least 5 chimps in 1987. Forest conditions there are good and because human population density is very low, compared to the left bank of the Ubangui River (Zaire side), establishment of a protected area in this region is is highly recommended. Mitani's 1988 observation (pers. comm.) of a "lost land" near the Ndoki River is of particular interest; gorillas and chimpanzees who live there apparently do not fear humans, perhaps because of a long isolation from their potential enemies by great areas of swampland.

The 1988 The Waseda University (Japan) Exploration Club's "dinosaur expedition" reported the presence of chimps and gorillas in the swamp forest of Lac Telle. A wildlife official who accompanied the team shot a adult male gorilla in "legitimate self-defense", and porters killed two adult chimpanzees for meat. Moore (1989) visited Lac Telle from 12 to 31 January, 1989, and based on three nest-count transects in the swamp forest near the lake he estimated the density of chimps at 0.6 to 1.4 chimps/km2, although he says this may be an overestimate.

Ed. note: Ndoki is now a national park; Kuroda states that the population density of chimps there is hard to estimate but perhaps similar to gorillas (1.3/km2).

GABON:
A nationwide census conducted in the early 1980's (Tutin & Fernanzez, 1984) estimated the chimpanzee population to be around 64,000. Since most of the country is stilll covered in primary forest and human population density is low, Gabon is the most promising area for the survival of chimpanzees. At Lop Ý Reserve, a 5,000km2 area containing 1,250 chimps where Tutin and her colleagues have conducted long-term ecological research, the efficiency of law enforcement appears high. The major threat to chimps is selective logging for timber. Due to the recent completion of the trans-Gabon railway, logging activity is spreading to the central and eastern parts of the country and an estimated 25,000km2 of primary forest will be logged over the next 10 years (Tutin & Fernandez, 1987;Tutin pers. comm.). No national parks exist in this country, and it is necessary to create a major sanctuary for chimps, at a distance from the railway.

Ed. note: Tutin & Fernandez (1993) estimated chimpanzee density in the 40km2 Lop Ý Reserve at about 1/km2.

NIGERIA
A survey conducted by Harcourt, Stewart and Inahaoro in 1987/88 confirmed the presence of chimpanzees in the Oban Hills and in the Sonkwala Mountains area south of the Obudu plateau (Boki region, Cross Rivers State) (Harcourt pers. comm.). Although hunting and international traffic is prohibited chimps appear severely threatened, and information on population size is needed.

RIO MUNI
This small country is estimated to have approximmately 2,000 chimps (Sabater-Pi, pers. comm.). The efficiency of law enforcement is low, frequency of poaching high and local people kill chimps for their meat.. Chimps are concentrated in at least three areas: Ntem-Ayaninken region, the Okorobiko Mountains, and Nsok region. Sabater Pi and Bermajo have done ecological and behavioral research in Rio Muni.

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