By John Lukas and Justin Birkhoff | President and Project Assistant
OCP support of ICCN is the cornerstone of protecting okapi habitat. The construction of a new office, an immigration processing building and sanitary facilities at the Zunguluka Patrol Post is nearly complete. Once in operation, this major access point to the Reserve will be much more efficient and thorough in processing people and vehicles travelling through the Reserve on the only East-West road in Eastern DRC.
We welcomed a new warden, Paulin Tshikaya, on January 8, 2018, and we expect he will continue the excellent programs initiated under his predecessor, Radar Nishuli.
The rangers made a concerted effort to expand their patrol effectiveness during the dry season months of January and February. The first quarter results were enhanced by the presence of 400 Congolese soldiers in Epulu which mounted several operations targeting poaching gangs which impacted the number of poachers operating inside the Reserve. During the first quarter of 2018, ICCN rangers carried out 132 patrols covering 4,838kilometers.
While on patrol, rangers destroyed 761 snares, destroyed 27 poaching and mining camps, confiscated 2 guns, 226 rounds of ammunition and assorted mining tools. Rangers inspected 13 of the 16 known active mines inside the Reserve, evacuated 298 miners and arrested 43 repeat offenders. The rangers are very diligent about recording observations and signs of key wildlife species while on patrol. During January-March, they observed four okapi (one for every 1,210 kilometers walked), 17 forest buffaloes, 20 forest elephants, and many species of primates, duikers and birds.
All the difficult and dangerous work of the ICCN rangers and Congolese soldiers has provided a chance for the wildlife populations to move back into areas around mines and poaching camps once the people have been evacuated. We are hopeful that the presidential election will be held in December and DRC will, with the help of many concerned foreign nations, move quickly to establish law and order in every part of this vast country. We sense hope from our OCP staff members and friends in Kinshasa and in the meantime, we must hold the line safeguarding okapi habitat until a new regime takes on the responsibility of governing a country overflowing with natural resources that, if properly utilized, could lift its people out of poverty. Eliminating lawlessness will make the work of the rangers and OCP staff much less dangerous and much more productive and really provide a secure future for wild okapi.
Funding from donors like you help the ICCN monitor wildlife, remove snares, and enforce the laws in the OWR. Your support provides the rangers with valuable training, tools and equipment. Rangers work tirelessly to protect the Reserve and all of the wildlife contained within. The efforts of the ICCN rangers and OCP has allowed for the expanded usage of camera traps in the Reserve. Cameras have captured some amazing images of the native wildlife, including the first ever video of an okapi calf walking through the forest with its mother! We thank you so much for your continued support!
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