Support for the conservation of the wooded hills of Bossou / Monts Nimba

Located 1050 km from Conakry and 58 km from N’Zérékoré, the Bossou hills (320 ha) are part of the Monts Nimba Natural Reserve (17,540 ha including 12,540 in Guinea and 5,000 in Côte d’Ivoire) , also a biosphere reserve and UNESCO world heritage. These hills are home to a population of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus, CR), populations of the neighboring Nimba Mountains, made up of 7 individuals (there were 22 remaining in 2002).

Despite the bans, bushfires and illegal encroachment, mainly linked to the expansion of agriculture in the forest, continue. Floristic diversity no longer allows fruit production to be staggered over the year, which leads to the straying of chimpanzees leading to the plundering of crops and thus increasing frequent human-chimpanzee conflicts.

Since 2017, the United States Forest Service / International Programs (USFS-IP) has been working with the NGO AUDER in the region to strengthen achievements in community management of natural resources and livelihood activities. The objective of this project is to reduce anthropogenic pressures and support the restoration of the chimpanzee corridor between Bossou and the Nimba Mountains.