Using fruiting Ape food trees (Myrianthus holstii) to count sympatric mammals at Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Understanding the diversity and distribution of flora and fauna, and their interactions, is a prerequisite for a successful protected area management program. Between 2020 and 2022, camera traps were installed at 34 different stations in front of fruiting Myrianthus holstii trees, a species whose fruits are eaten by various mammal species. A total of 699 photos and videos were recorded.  At least 23 mammal species were identified to have visited the fruit Myrianthus trees. Cephalophus dorsalis, Cricetomys gambianus, Gorilla beringei graueri, Allochrocebus lhoesti, and Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii were the most frequent with high relative abundance index (RAI). The activity period for most observed 10 mammal species revealed 60% of diurnal, 30% nocturnal, and 10% of cathemeral species. The amount of M. holstii fruits (estimated by the tree DBH) did not influence the visit frequency of mammal species. Ripe fruits of M. holstii may attract a wide diversity of sympatric mammals inhabiting Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP). This study suggests that fruiting trees with camera traps may be used as a cost-effective approach to conduct census of sympatric mammals.   Key words: Camera traps, mammals census, fruiting trees, Kahuzi-Biega National Park.