Population Survey

Between March 14 and April 5, 2017, an aerial survey was carried out in the North RCA zone to establish the statuses and changing the statuses of large animals, their habitats, livestock and human activities. This was the first survey of the area since 2010 and the first to establish the impact of the conflicts that occurred in 2012 and the insecurity that still prevails. The survey team received observer training at the ECOFAUNE+ base in Bamingui. The training includes theoretical and technical training according to the methodologies standardized data from the Great Elephant Census, a project that conducts surveys to establish the current status of elephant and other large mammal populations in many many countries in Africa. The aerial survey blocks were calibrated on those of previous surveys (in 2005 and 1985) to facilitate a comparison between exercises. SRF overflights covered a block of 63,657Km2 with 6,240km of overflight lines divided into 73 trails between 30 and 100km in length, at 10km intervals. A total of 16,778km was flown over with two WCS aircraft (a Cessna182 and a Cessna206). 200m strips of width were demarcated on each side of the aircraft to deduce estimates of abundance. In view of very low wildlife encounter rates, the systematic census or "SRF" (Systematic line-transect reconnaissance flights) was completed by 10,538km of overflights of reconnaissance or "Recce" on areas of concentration of large fauna noted by previous polls. For species of which insufficient individuals or groups were observed to deduce an estimate of abundance, the total count on the SRF and Recces together, made it possible to express a minimum count. No elephants or signs of the presence of elephants (tracks, tracks) were observed in 2017 during all overflights (recces and SRFs). Abundance estimates from previous surveys suggested: 35,093 (%CV6) elephants in 1977 (Spinage, 1978), 4,803 (%CV27) elephants in 1985 (Douglas-Hamilton et al., 1985), 4,025 (%CV12) elephants in 1998 (PDRN, 1998), o 929 (%CV45) elephants in 2005 (Fay et al., 2005), 68 (%CV85) elephants in 2010 (Bouché et al., 2011). It is possible that small pockets of elephants have been missed and that there are still groups that seasonally visit the area, but the strong downward trend (historical surveys), the lack of clues such as tracks in key areas, the omnipresence of weapons, does not inspire much hope for elephants and other wildlife not seen during the survey.