From September 8 to 11, 2026, the Cameroonian capital is hosting the fourth congress of the African Primatological Society (APS). Researchers, conservationists and field actors from the continent and beyond are seeking to redefine strategies for safeguarding African primates, which are facing increasing pressure on their natural habitats.
Deep within African forests, some presences are becoming increasingly rare. The calls of chimpanzees, the silent movements of gorillas or the leaps of tree-dwelling monkeys bear witness to a natural balance that is becoming increasingly fragile. Behind this gradual disappearance lies a major ecological crisis, one involving biodiversity whose loss could become irreversible if coordinated responses are not rapidly implemented.
It is in this context that Yaoundé is hosting the fourth congress of the African Primatological Society (APS). For four days, the Palais des Congrès is becoming a place for scientific and political reflection around a central question: how can African primates be preserved by involving more closely those who live nearest to the forests and the species they shelter?
Since its creation in 2016, the APS has pursued one ambition: to develop African expertise capable of playing a central role in conservation policies.
The organisation is born after several years of consultations between scientists and stakeholders committed to wildlife protection. It promotes the idea that primate conservation cannot be sustainably considered without greater involvement from researchers, institutions and communities across the continent.
The association’s first congress, organised in 2017 in Bingerville, Côte d’Ivoire, marks a founding milestone. The meeting brings together African and international specialists around the need to create a scientific network capable of addressing the specific challenges of African ecosystems. In 2019, in Entebbe, Uganda, discussions expand to opportunities and obstacles related to primate conservation. Then, in 2024, in Potchefstroom, South Africa, researchers emphasise the essential link between scientific production and concrete actions in the field.
The Cameroonian edition seeks to continue this trajectory by placing the concept of “ethical primatology” at the centre of discussions. This approach places local and indigenous populations at the heart of protection mechanisms. For the organisers, people living in forest territories are no longer to be considered as mere beneficiaries of conservation programmes, but as partners capable of contributing their knowledge and experience.
The discussions planned in Yaoundé cover a wide range of disciplines. Researchers present their work on animal behaviour, species evolution, diseases, relationships between humans and primates, as well as new approaches integrating human, animal and environmental health. Panels bringing together community actors, scientists and decision-makers also allow current conservation models to be questioned.
The meeting is also an opportunity to strengthen APS structures and deepen collaborations with other international primatology organisations. Training sessions for young researchers and conservation practitioners complement the work, while a field visit allows participants to directly observe Cameroon’s ecological realities.
The choice of Cameroon as host country has a particular significance. Located at the heart of the Congo Basin, one of the world’s major biodiversity reservoirs, the country possesses exceptional richness in primate species. The Sanaga River notably forms a natural boundary that influences the distribution of several populations of chimpanzees, gorillas and other species, making the territory a privileged laboratory for scientists.
However, this richness remains vulnerable. International assessments present a worrying picture: a large proportion of African primate species and subspecies are now threatened by habitat destruction, forest fragmentation and human activities. In Madagascar, the situation appears even more alarming, with the majority of recorded taxa facing a high risk of extinction.
Beyond the figures, the Yaoundé congress raises a deeper question: what future do African societies wish to build with their natural heritage? For the APS, the answer lies in conservation that combines science, public policies and local knowledge. Because protecting primates also means preserving the forests that shelter them and the ecological balances on which future generations depend.
In the Cameroonian capital, specialists are therefore not only coming to assess the situation. They are seeking to design a new way of thinking about the relationship between humankind and the living world, at a time when ecological time appears to be running out.