The Goualougo Triangle Chimpanzee Project (GTCP) was initiated in an area known
as the Goualougo Triangle, which is located in the Sangha region of the northern
Republic of Congo The main goals of the GTCP are to enhance our knowledge of
the central subspecies of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and improve
the conservation status of this ape throughout central Africa. Although
the chimpanzee is a flagship conservation species that has been studied for
several decades in eastern and western Africa, very little is known about the
central subspecies residing in the Congo Basin. Our goals are achieved by
studying the behavior, ecology, and culture of wild chimpanzees on a landscape
scale. Specifically, we are interested in describing acitivity patterns,
social interactions and cultural variants displayed by several neighboring
communities. Since the project’s inception in 1999, the GTCP has maintained a
continuous scientific and conservation presence in the 385 km2 study.
As a component of our ongoing research and monitoring program, we are examining
the effects of mechanized logging and associated activities on chimpanzees and
gorillas. The study area has been subdivided into zones with regard to the
Ndoki-Nouabalé boundary, past and future scheduled timber extraction in adjacent regions,
and geographical features such as waterways. Approaches involving
density estimates, behavioral monitoring, analysis of social organization, and
physiological monitoring (endocrine profiles, ape health monitoring) will be
used to depict the specific impact of forestry activities on wild ape
populations. This unique scenario has the potential to provide new insights to anthropogenic influences on chimpanzee behavior and ecology, and also
indicates the rapidly changing context of primatological research and its
intersection with conservation efforts in habitat countries.
The Goualougo Triangle Chimpanzee Project (GTCP) was initiated in an area known
as the Goualougo Triangle, which is located in the Sangha region of the northern
Republic of Congo The main goals of the GTCP are to enhance our knowledge of
the central subspecies of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and improve
the conservation status of this ape throughout central Africa. Although
the chimpanzee is a flagship conservation species that has been studied for
several decades in eastern and western Africa, very little is known about the
central subspecies residing in the Congo Basin. Our goals are achieved by
studying the behavior, ecology, and culture of wild chimpanzees on a landscape
scale. Specifically, we are interested in describing acitivity patterns,
social interactions and cultural variants displayed by several neighboring
communities. Since the project’s inception in 1999, the GTCP has maintained a
continuous scientific and conservation presence in the 385 km2 study.