The pygmy hippopotamus is today featured as the IUCN Red List ‘Species of the Day’, which is running throughout 2010 to mark the International Year of Biodiversity.
Ranked 21st on the EDGE Mammal conservation priority list, the pygmy hippo is also one of our focal species for conservation action. The lesser-known of the two extant hippopotamus species, the pygmy hippo is also less common and has a smaller range, and is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Standing just 1 metre tall, the pygmy hippopotamus is significantly shorted than its larger cousin, and is also much lighter, at less than 1/5th of the weight of the common hippo.
The family Hippopotamidae diverged from their closest relatvies, the whales and dolphins, approximately 60 million years ago, so the two remaining hippo species in the group represent an incredible amount of evolutionary history.
The pygmy hippo is now only found in a series of fragmented populations across West Africa, in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Sub-populations in Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau are almost certainly extinct.
In 1993 the global population was estimated at 2,000 – 3,000 individuals. However, continuing habitat loss and reports of hunting suggest that the population will have declined since this estimate, and these factors remain the major threats to the pygmy hippo.
EDGE is working to help monitor and protect the remaining wild populations, and to raise awareness of the extinction risk to the pygmy hippo. In January 2008 we led the establishment of a monitoring programme in Liberia’s Sapo National Park, using infra red camera traps to survey pygmy hippos and sympatric species. We are now supporting EDGE Fellow John Konie to continue management of the project.
Konie was working as a biologist at Sapo for the Liberian Forestry Development Authority (but has since been promoted to Chief Park Warden) and was trained by ZSL staff in using camera traps as a biodiversity monitoring technique. We continue to support Konie, giving him both technical advice and financial help to continue the monitoring programme, providing valuable data that feeds into the management of the protected area.
The camera trap survey quickly presented the first known photographs of wild pygmy hippos in Liberia which featured in news stories worldwide, helping to raise awareness of this little-known threatened species. These images were also shown to the Liberian President, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was reportedly excited by the findings and has since visited Sapo and showed support for good management of the National Park and the survival of the pygmy hippo.
EDGE has now teamed up with ZSL’s Africa conservation programme, and together we plan to expand our pygmy hippo conservation work throughout the species’ range, working with local and international partners to produce a range-wide conservation strategy for this species. We hope that this will guarantee the survival of this extraordinary but underappreciated hippo.
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EDGE Fellow John Konie recently wrote to give us the news that the President of Liberia had made a visit to Sapo National Park, where Konie is using camera traps to monitor the population of Endangered pygmy hippos (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), EDGE Mammal number 21.
Early last year pygmy hippos were photographed in Liberia for the first time by Konie and ZSL researchers who were training him in how to use camera trapping as a biodiversity monitoring tool. Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was reportedly excited by the images, and we hope that they encouraged her further interest in Sapo National Park.
President Sirleaf visited the headquarters of the National Park in Jalay’s Town on May 5th, en route to officially open the ‘Sinoe Dialogue’, a discussion forum amongst residents of Sinoe County (where Sapo NP is found) in neighbouring Bilibokree. During her visit to Sapo, the President met Forest Development Authority (FDA) rangers like Konie, and called on the people of Liberia to preserve the Park and protect the animals, as well as to halt prohibited activities such as illegal extraction of gold.
President Sirleaf has now formed a committee to ensure that people residing illegally within the Park boundaries relocate to outside the Sapo. There are an estimated 2,000 people living in camps inside the Sapo boundaries, which is not only illegal, but their activities often endanger wildlife and damage the environment that is meant to be protected by the Park. Illegal residents are causing pollution of rivers and hunt bushmeat, including many threatened species. Konie stresses that presence of illegal settlements is one of the greatest threats to Sapo’s environment, and said:
‘There is a need that people living in the park leave. Because, if they continue to live there, they will definitely destroy the forest, and thus; its bio-diversities which we are trying to protect and conserve for future generations to come.’
Furthermore, the President discussed with park officials the issue of the boundary extension; in 2003 an Act was passed to enlarge Sapo on the northeast and northwest sides beyond the river. This was done to ensure that the diversity of forest species is fully protected, especially those such as the pygmy hippo which are dependent on the river. However, boundary demarcation is yet to be carried out and there is still discussion about the park extension at the local level. President Sirleaf was concerned by this lack of action, and has assured the FDA that she would ensure that the discussion on the boundary extension is resolved.
Konie’s monitoring of pygmy hippos and other terrestrial forest species using the camera traps continues, and he recently sent us these images of his latest survey showing him setting up the camera traps, and the elusive species the cameras allow him to study.
Hopefully the President’s visit will result in positive benefits for the wildlife of Sapo National Park, and of course the unusual and remarkable pygmy hippopotamus.
If you would like to support projects including Konie’s critical monitoring of pygmy hippos, then please become an EDGE Champion, or donate here.
Our EDGE Fellow John Konie monitors the pygmy hippopotamus and other threatened mammal species in Liberia. He has sent us the following information about Sapo National Park, where he carries out his monitoring work:
Sapo National Park, Liberia’s first national park, is under serious threat from poachers. Quite recently, about 27 bodies of various animal species were confiscated by rangers from a meat trader within a town located near the park. Hunting and mining are order of the day by poachers within and around the park; thus, posing serious threat to biodiversity of the park.
Despite these threats, bio-monitoring and camera trapping programmes are succeeding. In recent times, camera trapping was done in one zone of the park. Various species of duikers and other interesting animal species’ photos were captured.
According to rangers assigned with the park, during their regular monthly patrols, tracks and faeces of pygmy hippo are often seen, and hippos are occasionally seen.
During the bio-monitoring exercise in May of this year, we were fortunate to have seen zebra duiker, Jentink’s duiker, bongo, chimpanzee, pygmy hippo and different monkey species.
Indeed, the park is home to important animal species that need serious conservation attention, especially the pygmy hippo.
If you would like to support John Konie’s pygmy hippopotamus monitoring work in Sapo National Park, please click here.
Sapo National park comprises 1800 km2 of moist tropical lowland rainforest, with a varied mosaic of riparian, seasonally inundated, and dryland forest. There is a rich diversity of animals of the park, and using camera traps gives us the advantage of being able to capture information on many species in addition to the pygmy hippo - the focus of our work here. Here are some of the many other species that were caught on camera over the first weeks of the survey. These data provide the basis for repeated surveys in Sapo, providing a range of information to complement the work we are doing on pygmy hippos.
Giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni ) is the largest member of the pig family. Full grown adult males can reach up to 2m in length, weighing up to 500kg.
Sapo contains many different species of duiker, of which we have photographs of most now. This is a bay duiker, (Cephalophus dorsalis). These species in particular remain a target of hunters in and around the park.
Jentink’s duiker (Cephalophus jentinki) is listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable. The largest of the duikers, this species is endemic to western Africa and is found in restricted areas of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire.
The cameras are sensitive enough to capture pictures of some small and elusive species, such as these slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea). These are a very adaptable species, and range over much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Without a doubt my favourite picture, the Zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra). They are really striking, but very difficult to see. Unfortunately, also listed as Vulnerable on the Red List. This picture was a real hit with the park rangers. There is a real affinity for this species around Sapo.
We’ll update you with more pictures as they come in from John…
Team 1 - forest team
While the cameras must stay in the field for 35 days to allow sufficient time for images to be captured, in order to complete the training process for Konie and the FDA staff, we went back into the forest after 15 days to download some of the data, and go through in the field camera trap maintenance, and subsequent data analysis.
Finding our way back to the cameras proved to be easier than we had dared to hope for, thanks to the forest skills of some of the FDA trackers, Bullah and Thomas. Team 2 canoed up river to download data from 7 cameras which mark the northern boundary of the trap grid, while the other team headed back into the forest to download from 11 more cameras in different forest areas.
As we nervously approached the first camera, we were amazed to see that it had taken 162 photos. My first thought was - false triggers - caused by the sun, or a branch waving in the wind. Three agonizing minutes later the download was complete, and we were delighted to see that the cameras had worked superbly well. We had 4 species on our first camera, just 15 days into the 35 day trapping period.
The next three days were spent moving between the cameras with some great successes, and as expected a few problems. A couple of the cameras had suffered from water damage, due to broken seals. Something to expect in the tropics; and we had had some really heavy periods of rain over the past 2 weeks. No pygmy hippos though, although we had continued to spot sign up to 3 km from the river into the park. We wondered how the river team had got on.
Team 2 - river team
The first camera we checked was the first camera that had been set out, meaning it had been in the field for a week longer than some of the others. We waited with baited breath as we downloaded the pictures, only to find a total of 9, all of which had been triggered by us when setting the camera up.
We were starting to wonder if we would get any pictures or if the disturbance we’d caused setting up the traps was too off putting for any wildlife. But at the second camera we were thrilled to see 82 pictures registered. We quickly scanned through excitedly waiting to see what we had captured. We had captured images of rodents a civet, and duiker.
We then paddled to our campsite, leaving one team member to set up camp as we went to check the final camera of the day. This was the furthest camera along the river, and it took us a while to locate as there seemed to be several paths cut. It was without too much anticipation we checked the counter, only to find 135 pictures registered. Suddenly the picture materialised taking the full screen showing the unmistakable back end of a pygmy hippo.
I think we all spoke at once. Thomas whooped with joy, and then we had a round of applause. We excitedly flicked through the pictures to discover the hippo had returned and it seemed had almost stopped to pose in front of the camera.
Not only that, but we had captured duikers, monkeys and white-breasted guinea-fowl, and a third appearance by a pygmy hippo. No one could stop smiling as we canoed back to camp.
First for Liberia
We believe these to be the first photographic records of wild pygmy hippos in Liberia, and perhaps the second ever globally (the only previous picture we can trace is from Sierra Leone, in 2006). It’s fantastic, but only the start. Our cameras remain in the field, and we only downloaded a subset of the cameras before we returned. Konie will bring you news of further photos over the coming weeks, and we will update you with news of other wildlife captured on the cameras in Sapo, and plans for the continuation of the project over the coming months.
Watch this space for more AMAZING footage on what walks past the hidden cameras in Sapo National Park, Liberia…….to be cont…