People and Bonobos in the Southern Lake Tumba Landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The southern Lake Tumba landscape is one of the very few areas in the range of the bonobo distribution where the species occurs within distances easily accessible by human populations. It offers exceptional human-bonobo interactivity on which several ecological hypotheses have been tested. Ecological studies carried out in this area indicated that ecological factors cannot, on their own, explain the presence of the bonobos in high density. Detailed studies on human ecology, including how people in the southern Lake Tumba Landscape perceive the presence of the bonobos, are necessary to fully depict ecological interactions between bonobos and their environment in the southern Lake Tumba landscape. Structured interview questionnaires were administered to local people from two ethnic groups within the southern Lake Tumba Landscape and responses were recorded. A -tests undertaken frequencies of responses to examine whether the perceived bonobo presence and abundance differed indicated that, indeed, the Bateke has a great knowledge of the bonobo ecology, they perceived bonobos differently when compared to the Ntomba. They showed greater willingness to protect the species. More generally, we concluded that the willingness to address conservation issues depended on tribe and have historical and cultural roots.