| White-bellied Duiker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Bovidae |
| Genus | Cephalophus |
| Species | C. leucogaster |
| Conservation Status | |
 Least Concern | |
The white-bellied duiker (Cephalophus leucogaster) is a duiker found in central Africa. Little is known on the ecology of the species, and only some information on habitat and diet is available.
Assessment Information[]
Listed as Least Concern as the species remains reasonably widespread with a total population estimated to number more than 250,000 animals. However, although the White-bellied Duiker is represented in protected areas in its range, its long-term survival is likely to become increasingly dependent on the maintenance of viable populations within national parks and reserves which are effectively protected against habitat destruction and illegal hunting. If current trends continue, this species will become increasingly restricted to areas where pressures of forest degradation and hunting are low. Given its susceptibility to hunting and the increasing rate of bushmeat hunting, it may already be on the way to qualifying as Near Threatened.
Geographic Range[]
The White-bellied Duiker ranges in the west from southern Cameroon, south of the Sanaga River, through Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, northern and south-western Republic of Congo, and extreme south-western Central African Republic, and eastwards, north of the Congo River, to north-east DR Congo (East 1999; Wilson 2001; Hart in press). There are no confirmed records from Cabinda (Angola), south-eastern Central African Republic or Uganda (Hart in press).
Population[]
This species generally occurs at lower densities than other medium-sized duikers, and is uncommon or rare in many areas where it occurs (Wilson 2001, Hart in press). East (1999) produced a total population estimate of 287,000 animals. Like most other duikers of the Central African lowland equatorial forests, its numbers are generally stable in areas remote from settlement, but decreasing elsewhere because of forest degradation and bushmeat hunting.
Habitat and Ecology[]
Prefers moist lowland equatorial forests and mature closed-canopy forest; also present in older secondary forests, but absent from swamp forest, gallery forest, forest-savanna mosaics and cleared areas. It appears to prefer mono-dominant stands of Gilbertiodendron forest in areas such as Nouabale-Ndoki in Congo-Brazzaville and the lturi Forest in DR Congo (Hart in press).
Threats[]
The major threat to this species, especially given its occurrence at low densities, is likely to be hunting (both with snares and nets), and it is one of the first species to drop out of the small ungulate fauna in areas subject to heavy snare pressure (Hart in press).
Conservation Actions[]
Important protected areas for this species include Lopé Reserve (Gabon), Monte Alen N.P. (Equatorial Guinea), Dzangha-Ndoki N.P. (CAR), Odzala N.P. (Congo), and Kahuzi-Biega N.P., Maiko N.P. and Okapi Faunal Reserve (DR Congo). However, while some of these areas receive moderate to high levels of protection and management (e.g., Dzanga-Sangha-Dzanga-Ndoki, Lope, Odzala), others offer little or no protection against the expansion of logging, settlement and meat hunting.
