Chimpanzees surviving in a fragmented high‐altitude forest landscape of the Congolese Albertine Rift

This paper documents a community of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii Giglioli, 1872) inhabiting three relict forest fragments situated on the Lake Albert escarpment, down Ituri highlands, Democratic Republic Congo (DRC). The area explored had combined forested surface ±18.15 km2 in 2017, shrinking by 1.2% per year between 2010 and 2015. Between 2015 we found 160 chimpanzee nests along 37.6 km pilot walks, some up to 2,000 m altitude. Another 123 logged 6.7 transects led an estimate density 4.62 weaned individuals square kilometer habitat. Camera-trap images direct observations revealed that this is comprised minimum 42 individuals, which translates into estimated 2.3 kilometer. increasing rate degradation threatens erode cultural genetic diversity nonhuman primates DRC; local people however exhibit willingness establish managed reserve. We hope report will lead recognition site as Chimpanzee Conservation Unit, facilitating further research these “Relict Altitude Forests Fragments Escarpment” (or RAFALE landscape) highlands where other undocumented communities occur.