22 May 2013: The Program on Forests (PROFOR) has examined and used the number of bonobo orphans arriving at a sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as an indication of pressure on rainforests in the country.

According to the article, young bonobo’s are typically not killed by poachers so their increased presence in sanctuaries is usually tied to habitat encroachment and deforestation. In the past, increases have been tied to armed conflict and activities such as mining and road construction, which imply greater access to and pressure on forests.

The article recalls the numerous difficulties with regards to reducing poaching in the Congo, including the lack of cooperation among many local communities and violent reactions to poaching control measures. With increased stability and development in the Congo, new threats are expected from agricultural expansion and increased exploitation of forestry and mining resources. The article also references the publication, ‘Deforestation Trends in the Congo Basin,’ which postulates that population and economic growth could be as detrimental to forests as poverty and conflict – leading to an increase of deforestation rates to 1.3 million hectares a year in the Congo Basin. [Profor Blog Post] [IISD RS story on ‘Deforestation Trends in the Congo Basin’]