By John Lukas | President
2015 was an important year in the recent history of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, home to many threatened and endangered species. In collaboration with partner conservation organizations, DR Congo’s Institute in Congo for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) was able to double the number of rangers working in the Reserve. The newly recruited and trained rangers are now able to participate effectively in protection operations, enabling a significant expansion in the range and frequency of patrols throughout the Reserve.
Rangers walked nearly 13,000 kilometers through the forest in 2015, collecting and destroying over 2,000 snares, and arresting hundreds of poachers. Rangers not only actively seek out poachers and snares, but continue an important component of their operations in the closing down of illegal mines and removal of miners from the Reserve. As the number of illegal miners diminishes from the forest, the need for bushmeat is dramatically reduced.
Key forest dwelling species including okapi, forest elephants, chimpanzees and leopards, and many bird species, benefit from the protection of this expanded patrol coverage.
The support of conservationists from around the world makes the challenging work of wildlife protection in this unique forest of biodiversity possible!
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