Preventing Bushmeat Poaching in Africa's Forests

The wildlife of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is under unprecedented pressures in recent months from not only illegal gold mining and elephant poaching, but as well from both rebel and army personnel seeking to gather ever greater amounts of bush meat for consumption and sale.  As Mai Mai fighters have terrorized local...

In spite of ongoing instability in DRC the Okapi Conservation Project continues to support the ICCN rangers in their pursuit of poachers in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.  After the attack on ICCN (Institute in Congo for Conservation of Nature) headquarters in Epulu some months ago, ICCN rangers have teamed up with DRC...

The Okapi Conservation Project is not immune to the global pressures of an increased demand for ivory, gold and bushmeat.  Three months ago armed rebels attacked the ICCN headquarters in the village of Epulu, killing rangers, and looting and burning ICCN and OCP buildings, and terrorizing residents.  Many people...

How do you monitor the health of a rainforest?  One of our methods is to conduct regular aerial surveys.  Unlike the savannahs in Africa, where you can fly over and actually count elephants and other wildlife from the air, this level of detail is impossible in the dense forests.  Yet aerial surveys are still...

Update on Wildlife Protection in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve Institute in Congo for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) The ICCN Okapi Wildlife Reserve is managed by ICCN Director J.J. Mapilanga with the help of Conservator Principal (Warden) Gishlain Somba.  They oversee the 110 Okapi Wildlife Reserve rangers and manage the...

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve (13,760 km2) is designated as a multiple use reserve in the DR Congo, providing community access for hunting and agriculture, including the Mbuti pygmy indigenous people.  The Coordination Committee of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR), lead by the Institute in Congo for Conservation of Nature...

Ivory poaching in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve continues to be the greatest challenge for ICCN wardens and rangers.  Rangers on forest patrol must be ever vigilant to the great peril of encountering heavily armed elephant poachers and firefights are not uncommon.  The recent arrest of soldiers transporting ivory...

The Okapi Conservation Project education team is focusing on the developing community conservation committees in the northern sector of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.  The towns of Wamba and Mungbere are difficult to reach because of the extremely poor road system, however these communities are critically important to the...

Greetings from Epulu in the Ituri Forest, DR Congo We recently completed the construction of new permanent housing for the rangers of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.  The Zunguluka patrol post is located on the eastern border along the main road passing through the Reserve and is a key base to control traffic in...

As the  year winds down we would like thank all  of our friends and supporters of the Okapi Conservation Project who help us to conserve the important forests and wildlife in Africa.  Our bushmeat project has worked closely with the rangers in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve to reduce illegal poaching.  Your...

The Okapi Conservation Project Education Team recently conducted a seminar on wildlife poaching for the DRC Army based in nearby Mambasa on the eastern side of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.  This was one of the first times we have had the opportunity to talk directly with the Army personnel in the region about the...