https://congo.wcs.org RSS feeds for WCS Congo 60 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25850/Conservation-and-local-development-the-Lac-Tele-Community-Reserve-takes-stock-of-community-actions-in-Bouanela#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25850 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25850&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25850/Conservation-and-local-development-the-Lac-Tele-Community-Reserve-takes-stock-of-community-actions-in-Bouanela At Bouanela, the Lac Télé Community Reserve takes stock of community actions and strengthens local governance through a dialogue workshop between the Coordination and the Local Management Committee. A participatory workshop bringing together communities from the 27 villages of the Lac Télé Community Reserve made it possible to assess actions undertaken, adopt new recommendations, and define community management priorities for 2026, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). BOUANELA, Republic of the Congo, December 7, 2025 — On December 6 and 7, 2025, the multipurpose hall of the Bouanela sub-prefecture hosted the second dialogue workshop between the Coordination and the Local Management Committee (LMC) of the Lac Télé Community Reserve (LTCR). Organized at the initiative of the LMC with financial support from WCS, the meeting brought together nearly 150 participants from the 27 villages of the Reserve. The workshop aimed to assess the implementation of previous recommendations, strengthen local governance, and plan priority actions for 2026, within a participatory community-based management approach. Discussions provided a detailed review of actions carried out over the past year, including: the revitalization of Natural Resource Management Committees (NRMCs) in eight villages of the Reserve; community awareness-raising on the mini fishing charter and best practices for managing fishery resources; the establishment of community fishing surveillance brigades in eight villages; the electrification of 27 localities using 70 solar streetlights, distributed across the districts of Bouanela and Epéna; the distribution of school kits to 27 primary schools, reaching more than 4,400 pupils in and around the Reserve; the clearing of 20 kilometers of the Epéna–Ngounda road to improve accessibility; support to more than 200 cocoa producers as part of the development of income-generating activities; the implementation of several scientific studies, including monitoring of ungulates, small monkeys, waterbirds, hippopotamus counts, and gorilla monitoring. “These actions reflect the commitment of communities and partners to reconciling biodiversity conservation with improved living conditions,” emphasized Ghislain Magnomele, President of the Executive Board of the Local Management Committee. During the workshop, participants also reviewed the progress of the Simple Management Plans (SMPs) and the Reserve Management Plan, developed through a participatory approach integrating traditional rules, rational use zones, and strict protection zones. “Community-based management of the Reserve relies on the effective involvement of local populations in decision-making and in monitoring natural resources,” recalled Fabien Orchidet Nzolani Silaho, Warden of the Lac Télé Community Reserve. At the end of the workshop, thirteen recommendations were adopted, focusing in particular on: combating bushfires; continuing the establishment of surveillance brigades; strengthening awareness-raising on fishing, hunting, and the environment; crop diversification and support for food security; improving communication and the visibility of community institutions. In closing the workshop, the Sub-Prefect of the Bouanela district, Norbert Liboukou, called on all stakeholders to translate these recommendations into concrete actions to ensure the long-term protection of the biodiversity of the Lac Télé Community Reserve. Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:42:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25850 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25735/Belem-Call-to-Action-Nouabale-Ndoki-and-Lac-Tele-at-the-Heart-of-the-Congo-Basin#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25735 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25735&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25735/Belem-Call-to-Action-Nouabale-Ndoki-and-Lac-Tele-at-the-Heart-of-the-Congo-Basin At the heart of the Congo Basin, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and the Lac Télé Community Reserve are directly concerned by the new Belém Call to Action, launched to strengthen the protection and sustainable management of Central Africa’s forests. WCS welcomes this collective commitment bringing together governments, technical partners and donors around a shared ambition: safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Congo Basin while supporting the communities who depend on these unique landscapes. Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25735 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24929/Under-the-Cover-of-the-Rainforest-Extraordinary-Photos-of-the-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24929 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24929&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24929/Under-the-Cover-of-the-Rainforest-Extraordinary-Photos-of-the-Congo The thick canopy of the Congo rainforest and its luscious vegetation is a safe haven for a unique biodiversity—including rarely-seen wildlife, like the African Golden Cat, captured for the first time in high-definition in their natural environment in Congo. See photos with captions HERE Emma Stokes, WCS Vice President, Field Conservation, long deployed in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park: “Tropical rainforests don't give up their secrets easily. You can spend years walking through these forests without seeing much of the extraordinary wildlife that lives there. You only know it's there by the signs it leaves behind. That's why it's so rewarding to see these incredible images, to gradually unveil some of these secrets, and to better understand these forests to protect them.” A major camera-trap photography operation in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park led by photographer Will Burrard-Lucas and supported by WCS has captured outstanding images of some of the most charismatic but often rarely seen mammals, in ways they have never been seen before with high definition photography. Throughout 2023, the park welcomed UK-based Will Burrard-Lucas, a specialist in high-definition camera-trapping, and supported the deployment of 5 traps at 4 different sites in the park over a year. Said Burrard-Lucas: “Wherever you go, you get the sense that wildlife lurks just out of sight, behind the veil of vegetation. Camera trapping in such an environment is incredibly exciting because you never know what will pass along these narrow forest paths and many species are rarely seen.” In parks such as Nouabalé-Ndoki, camera traps are used daily for scientific purposes, such as measuring wildlife abundance. But using high-quality cameras and taking extraordinary photos of wildlife gives a better sense of what conservation is about, helps inspire a respect for and an appreciation of nature, and ultimately fosters a better connection with these elusive animals. “These photos are amazing, I am really happy that thanks to these cameras we are able to take pictures of the animals that are very difficult to spot,” said Seraphin Ngouna, who works for one of the research sites operating in the park. Ngouna belongs to an Indigenous People native to the forest where he was born and works. He was instrumental in maintaining the cameras once deployed, which were exposed to the elements and damage caused by elephants and falling branches. Said Ngouna: “I’m even happier to know these pictures will be published for other people to see.” Added Burrard-Lucas: “For me, the ultimate thrill is to photograph predators, and my dream was to get a shot of the apex predator in Nouabalé-Ndoki—a leopard. These cats are very secretive and almost impossible to see in the thick rainforest. To select spots for my cameras, I was relying on the knowledge and experience of researchers and trackers who had been studying the wildlife of the park for years. It was an incredible moment when I returned to one camera and found a photo of the most impressive male leopard I have ever seen! Of course, capturing these photos was a team-effort and I am very grateful to everyone who helped make it possible, particularly those in the field who kept the cameras running.” Said Sabine Plattner, owner of Kamba Africa, the first tourism company to operate in the park: “Will’s photos are truly breathtaking, he captures the animals of the forest beautifully, and it’s wonderful to see some of the rarer species that live in the Congo Basin. Through these images, visitors can see what life is like in the forest and the type of animals that inhabit it.” Burrard-Lucas’s camera traps were deployed as part of the Nouabalé-Ndoki tourism development program, in partnership with Kamba Africa and thanks to the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These photos are a treat for the eyes, but also raise awareness of these species, many of which remain critically endangered across their range. These photos celebrate unseen wildlife and call for action to protect it. They are also a testimony to the natural wonders of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, a conservation success story in northern Republic of Congo, where wildlife thrives and where WCS has been working in partnership with the government to manage the Park for over 30 years. Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24929 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24935/Congolese-Minister-of-Forest-Economy-and-WCS-Formally-Launch-Pilot-High-Integrity-Forest-Investment-Initiative-HIFOR-Project#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24935 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24935&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24935/Congolese-Minister-of-Forest-Economy-and-WCS-Formally-Launch-Pilot-High-Integrity-Forest-Investment-Initiative-HIFOR-Project To help finance the protection of the world’s remaining high integrity forests, Congo’s Minister of Forest Economy and WCS have launched on August 30 Africa’s first HIFOR project in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. HIFOR (the High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative) was created by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to address the lack of market-based finance for tropical forests that retain high ecological integrity. Largely free from degradation, these forests provide climate, biodiversity and socio-economic benefits that are critical for maintaining a healthy planet. The initiative finances the conservation of these forests through the sale of HIFOR units, each of which represents one hectare of well-conserved high integrity tropical forest within a large landscape of high ecological integrity. On August 30, Congo’s Minister of Forest Economy and WCS launched Africa’s first pilot project to generate HIFOR units and prepare for an initial transaction in the world’s first site to be recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area for its ecological integrity: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The project was first endorsed on Wednesday August 28 by the Republic of Congo's Forest Carbon Task Force in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso. High integrity tropical forests are estimated to remove around 1.8 billion tons of CO2 per year (net) from the atmosphere. Without the active role of high integrity forests in storing carbon, the world would already be at least 0.5°C hotter than it is today. Despite their climatic and ecological significance, the main blocks of high integrity forest declined by 12% between 2000 and 2020 and are increasingly vulnerable to fragmentation, encroachment and degradation. Current market-based finance for tropical forest conservation does not incentivize protection of high integrity forests, but the HIFOR Initiative seeks to create investable units representing a set of science-backed ecosystem services, and to unlock a continuous stream of finance that support governments and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs) to protect their high integrity forests while developing sustainable, low-carbon rural economies and livelihoods. The Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park covers more than 0.4 million hectares of high-integrity tropical forest, with a net total of over 11 million tons of CO2 estimated to have been absorbed over the past decade. “The project we are launching today marks a very important step in the development of innovative financial mechanisms enabling our country to make the most of its efforts to conserve forests and their ecosystems” commented Forest Economy Minister Rosalie Matondo at the project launch ceremony in Brazzaville. HIFOR complements but does not compete with existing financing instruments that credit reductions in emissions from tropical deforestation. A HIFOR unit is a non-compensatory tradeable asset that cannot be used for offsetting purposes, but can be reported within a number of frameworks for contributing to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. “With threats to high integrity forests constantly evolving and increasing, our efforts to protect them must be relentless. The Congo is fortunate to have many of these forests, and we are very pleased to work with the government to pilot this innovative mechanism to enhance their value and ensure their long-term protection.” emphasized Richard Malonga, WCS Congo Country Director. WCS is initially piloting HIFOR in sites where we work through strong partnerships with governments and communities, with the aim to demonstrate viability of this new financial. To ensure quality and transparency, early HIFOR projects will be audited individually against the publicly available HIFOR methodology, as WCS continues to evolve the HIFOR initiative, with the aim of scaling impact across broader geographies. Thu, 05 Sep 2024 12:25:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24935 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24937/Pioneering-Public-Private-Collaboration-Celebrates-25-Years-of-Biodiversity-Conservation-in-the-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24937 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24937&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24937/Pioneering-Public-Private-Collaboration-Celebrates-25-Years-of-Biodiversity-Conservation-in-the-Republic-of-Congo An innovative public-private collaboration, the Peripheral Ecosystem Management Project (PROGEPP), is celebrating 25 years of protecting gorillas, elephants, and other wildlife and for empowering local communities.  Established in 1999, PROGEPP is a unique collaboration between the Ministry of Forest Economy, Olam Agri’s Wood Business - Congolaise Industrielle de Bois (CIB), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which aims to work with communities for sustainable use of natural resources and to extend conservation efforts into the buffer zone around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, in the forestry concessions operated by CIB. Spanning 1.3 million hectares, the project is a testament to sustainable ecosystem management, protected area buffer zone protection, local population partnership, and scientific research. It operates in a crucial geographical area, bordering 4 protected areas, and plays a crucial role in preserving the Trinational de la Sangha (TNS), a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. PROGEPP has been pivotal in conservation for globally iconic wildlife protecting over 24,000 individual gorillas and 6,000 forest elephants within its intervention zone. Beyond wildlife conservation, it has been a catalyst for empowering local communities, creating sustainable jobs – offering over 165 contracts, to significantly reduce hunting and poaching pressure. Over 25 years, PROGEPP has spearheaded livelihood diversification projects, mitigated wildlife pressure and fostered community empowerment. Successes of this 25 years partnership include: Releasing over 1,400 seized animals back into the wild, seizing 850 illegal weapons and destroying over 110,000 metal snares Reducing elephant poaching significantly, with 3 carcasses reported in 2024 down from 33 in 1999 Creating over 400 micro-enterprises (shops, livestock and crops) to diversify and improve livelihoods and operating over 42 savings groups, benefiting 650 people Fostering scientific research leading to significant publications including the best practices guidelines for reducing the impact of commercial logging on great apes in Western Equatorial Africa (D.Morgane, C.Sanz, 2007). Richard Malonga, Country Director, WCS Congo, highlights, “The PROGEPP-Kabo represents a successful partnership model between the public sector, a private company, and conservation organizations. Together, we preserve the exceptional biodiversity of the Ndoki-Likouala landscape in the peripheral zone of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park for future generations. We strengthen conservation efforts while guiding local communities towards new livelihoods through participatory and inclusive management.” Vincent Istace, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Olam Agri, remarks, “PROGEPP’s conservation efforts are remarkable. They have protected thousands of animals and created a sustainable management model that inspires projects across Central Africa.” As a pioneer, PROGEPP’s innovative approach has inspired similar regional initiatives. Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of Congo, emphasizes, “PROGEPP-Kabo is a remarkable example of conservation partnership. We reaffirm our commitment to preserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable initiatives for Congo. As PROGEPP celebrates its 25th anniversary, it looks to address new challenges, such as adapting to new road infrastructure to reduce poaching pressure. The project is dedicated to continuing collaboration with local communities and authorities to ensure a sustainable future for the region’s wildlife.”  About Olam Agri Olam Agri is a market leading, differentiated food, feed and fiber agri-business with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 33 years. With a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets and products across grains & oilseeds, integrated feed & protein, rice, edible oils, specialty grains & seeds, cotton, wood products, rubber and commodity financial services, Olam Agri is at the heart of global food and agri-trade flows with 38.3 million MT in volume traded in 2022. Focused on transforming food, feed, and fiber for a more sustainable future, it aims at creating value for customers, enabling farming communities to prosper sustainably and strive for a food-secure future. Olam Agri is a fully owned subsidiary of Olam Group. For more information and to subscribe to our news alerts, please visit https://www.olamagri.com/. Mon, 05 Aug 2024 12:32:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24937 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24939/Worlds-First-Key-Biodiversity-Area-Identified-Under-Ecological-Integrity-Criteria-in-the-Republic-of-the-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24939 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24939&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24939/Worlds-First-Key-Biodiversity-Area-Identified-Under-Ecological-Integrity-Criteria-in-the-Republic-of-the-Congo As a result of a thorough process based on the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) Standard, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, which has been under WCS management for over 30 years, has become the first site in the world to be recognized for its ecological integrity – a measure of the region's robust natural processes and resilience against disturbances. The KBA Standard, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sets rigorous criteria for identifying sites that are globally significant for the persistence of biodiversity. The Ecological Integrity criteria specifically focuses on areas that remain undisturbed by significant impacts, thereby preserving their structure, composition, and function. Covering 4,000 square kilometers of lowland rainforest and harboring crucial populations of endangered mammals, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park has never been logged, contains no roads within its borders, still boasts wildlife that has had little or no contact with humans, and plays a demonstrated role in climate regulation and carbon storage. Using satellite imagery and field surveys of key species such as forest elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees, WCS field biologists and the KBA secretariat in Cambridge (UK) assessed forest condition and wildlife abundance throughout northern Congo and Gabon, and were able to demonstrate that the Park possesses exceptional ecological integrity. Identifying and protecting areas of high ecological integrity is essential for conserving biodiversity, mitigating the effects of climate change, safeguarding against zoonotic pandemics, and maintaining the vital ecosystem services these areas provide. Supported by the Bezos Earth Fund to the KBA partnership through Birdlife International, and implemented through a partnership between WCS and the Government of Congo, the KBA identification process “is a significant milestone for global conservation efforts," said Richard Malonga, Country Director of WCS. "By recognizing areas of high ecological integrity, we are ensuring the protection of ecosystems that are vital for the survival of countless species and the overall health of our planet", he added. “This project contributes to the ongoing efforts in our country by addressing biodiversity challenges, influencing action priorities to achieve the post-2020 global agenda goal on one hand, and developing a 30x30 action plan on the other.” commented Arlette Soudan Nonault, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin, during one of the meetings that led to the recognition of the Park’s ecological integrity. This result is a testament to the Republic of the Congo's commitment to preserving its natural heritage. It underscores the exceptional global importance of the Congo Basin’s intact landscapes and the values they hold for people and the planet. This designation comes at a critical time, as the international community ramps up efforts to meet global biodiversity targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:39:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24939 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24944/Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park-Celebrates-30-Years-as-2023-Marked-First-Year-Without-Any-Elephant-Poaching-Detected#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24944 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24944&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24944/Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park-Celebrates-30-Years-as-2023-Marked-First-Year-Without-Any-Elephant-Poaching-Detected   Watch the Parks 30th Anniversary Video   The 30th Anniversary of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park commemorates conservation achievements, despite increasing pressures. On this occasion, the Park ramps up tourism-oriented efforts with the unveiling of its new official website – https://ndoki.org – and marks this celebration with a special video. Republic of Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park commemorates 30 years of conservation, science and local community development, to retain its status as one of the true wilderness areas left on the African continent. Created on December 31, 1993, and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 as part of the wider Sangha Trinational landscape, the Park has been administered since 2014 through a Public-Private Partnership agreement between Congo’s Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), creating the Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation. “We didn’t detect any elephants killed in the Park this year, a first for the Park since we’ve began collecting data. This success comes after nearly a decade of concerted efforts to protect forest elephants from armed poaching in the Park. With prospering collaboration between MEF and WCS, and to address the escalating threats to the region’s wildlife, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park made significant investments in the ranger force, with training to reinforce professionalism, self-defense capabilities, and adherence to both the law and human rights,” explains Ben Evans, the Park’s management unit director. Long protected by its isolation, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park has been increasingly exposed to anthropogenic threats, notably linked to the development of road infrastructure and growing demographic pressure. The Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) and other neighboring logging concessions, the majority of which are FSC-certified, work with the Park to apply results of the research conducted by WCS on wildlife to limit the impacts of logging and road building. As key stakeholders in the creation of the Park, the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities of the neighboring villages of Bomassa and Makao play a central role in its management and governance. The Park works with communities to improve their livelihoods, promote sustainable resource use in the Park periphery, and ensure people can benefit from the Park.  "The Park has created long-term jobs, which are rare in the region, and has brought substantial benefits to neighboring communities through the creation of schools and health centers, and access to clean water. Tourism is also emerging as a promising avenue for economic growth," said Gabriel Mobolambi, chief of Bomassa village. The Makao and Bomassa health centers receive up to 250 patients a month. The Park provides continuous access to primary education for nearly 300 pupils in Bomassa and Makao. In Bomassa, 80% of heads of households are Park employees. Nouabalé-Ndoki has recently become the first certified Gorilla FriendlyTM National Park, ensuring best practices are in place for all gorilla-related operations, from tourism to research, with active support for and from the Park’s neighboring communities. In alignment with the national policy aimed at promoting a green economy in the Congo, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park initiated a tourism development program, with the goal to generate 15% of its budget from tourism revenue. For its 30th Anniversary, the Park unveils its tourism-oriented web platform - https://ndoki.org. To visit Nouabalé-Ndoki, find more information on the new website! In 1993, recognizing the importance of this area for biodiversity conservation, the government of Congo created the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The partnership between MEF and WCS has grown stronger and ensures the Park remains one of the world’s last truly wild spaces, and one of the few areas where populations of elephants and great apes have remained stable. For decades, commitment, cooperation and professionalism of all the Park staff have been the driving force for this unique achievement. Following the addition of the Djéké Triangle in 2023, the Park now covers a total of 4,334 km2. A protected area of global importance, Noubalé-Ndoki National Park harbors most notably large populations of mammals, including emblematic species of forest elephants, chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas and bongos, as well as a diversity of reptiles, birds, insects. The Park also boasts a rich flora, with century-old mahogany and large-diameter trees crucial for carbon capture. Conservation science has consistently served as a key tool for gathering the data and information needed to steer the effective management of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. For the past two decades, large mammals have been monitored across the landscape every five years by foot surveys on line transects. The Ndoki-Likouala survey is one of the largest, best resourced and most informative monitoring program on the continent. Thanks to these regular surveys, populations of iconic species are known to be stable, with around 3,200 forest elephants, around 2,200 western lowland gorillas and around 3,000 chimpanzees living in the Park. Visit the new website - https://ndoki.org Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24944 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24964/One-of-the-Worlds-Most-Iconic-Lowland-Gorillas-Kingo-of-the-Republic-of-Congo-Has-Died-of-Old-Age#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24964 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24964&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24964/One-of-the-Worlds-Most-Iconic-Lowland-Gorillas-Kingo-of-the-Republic-of-Congo-Has-Died-of-Old-Age   Kingo, a Critically Endangered Western Lowland Gorilla, Inspired Three Decades of Conservation Watch a video on Kingo HERE Broll of Kingo Hi-Res Photos of Kingo One of the world’s most iconic lowland gorillas, Kingo, who was featured in international news media and inspired three decades of conservation, was found dead on Dec. 26, 2023. Lowland gorillas are listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN. Kingo's age is estimated to be 45 years. The cause of his death is believed to be age-related complications. Kingo gained his international fame after being featured in reports by BBC, National Geographic, and other media outlets. He has been called by conservationists a symbol of nature whose life inspired the protection of Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and all of its wildlife, and whose legacy will inspire the protection of similarly highly intact, ecologically intact areas across the world for generations to come. More than a dozen documentaries and nearly 50 scientific articles have featured insights from Kingo’s life. The imposing yet gentle presence of Kingo captured the hearts of researchers, local communities, and tourists since the 1990’s when Diane Doran’s research team from Stony Brook University in New York began studying him to better understand Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), which at that time were amongst the least understood great apes. Kingo takes his name from the Ba’aka expression ‘kingo ya bolé,’ which means ‘he who has a loud voice.’ Researchers were able to locate Kingo’s group, in the early days of their research, due to his distinctive bark. In 2006, this work was taken on by the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Kingo’s legacy is immense,” said Jancy Boungou, a research assistant for WCS’s Mondika Gorilla who followed Kingo up until his last days. “He has always inspired me and my colleagues to protect gorillas and the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.” The home of Kingo was Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park—a 1,500 square-mile (4,238 square-kilometer) protected area which WCS co-manages with the Congolese government. It is home not only to gorillas, but also forest elephants, chimpanzees, bongo, sitatunga, and other spectacular wildlife. WCS’s long-term presence in the park, working with the government and Indigenous Peoples, has allowed researchers to gain incredible insights into the life history of the otherwise private lives of gorillas. “Through the years, the work accomplished with Kingo, and the launch of ecotourism has led to improved protection for the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, culminating in the formal addition of Kingo’s home – the Triangle Forest –to the Park in 2022. Kingo has enabled a better understanding of Western lowland gorilla ecology and behavior; and, through tourism, created a pathway to sustainable livelihoods for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the area,” said WCS’s Ben Evans, Director of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. “Even by gorilla standards, Kingo was a physically impressive silverback with massive arms and broad shoulders that powered his confident swagger through the dense forests of the Congo Basin,” said David Morgan, Director of the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project (GTAP) which has supported WCS efforts for more than ten years. “Generations of silverbacks have visited those same trees over hundreds of years, but it is unlikely that any were as successful in their tenure as Kingo.” Sat, 06 Jan 2024 09:33:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24964 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24966/WCS-Welcomes-Ambitious-Partnerships-to-Support-Biodiversity-and-Climate-Action#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24966 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24966&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24966/WCS-Welcomes-Ambitious-Partnerships-to-Support-Biodiversity-and-Climate-Action The following statement was issued from the UN Climate Conference, COP28,  today by Joe Walston, Executive Vice President of WCS Global at the Wildlife Conservation Society: “We welcome the launch of the country package partnerships for the Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea,  Democratic Republic of Congo and the National Ambition plan for Colombia. ”The Country Packages are an articulation of the governments’ priorities for the protection and sustainable management of their forests and coasts, helping to align and coordinate global support for those actions.  They aim to protect and restore forests, peatlands, mangroves and marine ecosystems in the world’s three primary tropical forest basins. “These healthy, high integrity ecosystems play a globally important role. Not only do they host significant biodiversity, but they hold important cultural values, provide significant livelihoods to Indigenous People and local communities and co-benefits in ecosystem services, along with the necessary basis for a sustained and durable economy. These partnerships will support countries to deliver on their biodiversity and climate commitments, including the effective and equitable conservation of 30% of lands and seas by 2030, halting forest loss and increasing resources for biodiversity and climate ambitions. “WCS has been working on the ground as a trusted partner of governments and communities in all four of these countries, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea and Colombia, for many decades, and commits to supporting these plans. By investing in nature commensurate to the benefits that nature provides us, we're not only going to reverse the decline of nature, but deliver on more than 30% of the solution in tackling climate change, and provide healthy lands, seas and economies for generations to come.” Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24966 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24969/At-COP28-WCS-and-Republic-of-Congo-Sign-MoU-on-Implementation-Of-a-High-Integrity-Forest-Investment-Initiative-in-Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24969 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24969&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24969/At-COP28-WCS-and-Republic-of-Congo-Sign-MoU-on-Implementation-Of-a-High-Integrity-Forest-Investment-Initiative-in-Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park Recognizing the importance of ecological integrity to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, including climate regulation, the Government of the Republic of Congo, represented by the Ministry of Forest Economy, and WCS have initiated a new program to attract investment in the conservation of high-integrity tropical forests. This joint commitment to developing pilot investment projects in high-integrity forests is demonstrated by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the high-integrity forest investment initiative in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The MoU was signed today in Dubai on the occasion of COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference. High-integrity tropical rainforests represent 40% of the world's remaining tropical forests and are the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are home to more than half of all known plant and animal species and support the livelihoods of millions of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. Tropical rainforests are an essential part of nature's climate infrastructure, storing and removing massive amounts of carbon from the atmosphere; shaping the hydrological cycle and atmospheric circulation on which much of the world's food production depends; and reducing temperatures and the impact of droughts and floods at local and regional scales. Nevertheless, their ecosystem services do not fit into the logic of carbon offset markets and are taken for granted in most existing climate models and financing mechanisms. Said Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of the Republic of Congo: "The government of the Republic of Congo, through the Ministry of Forest Economy, is committed to promoting the new financing mechanism for the protection of high-integrity forests (HIFOR). I would like to express my deep gratitude to WCS for its interest in finding appropriate solutions for biodiversity conservation and enhancement, including the HIFOR investment initiative, by giving a monetary value to the absorption of carbon dioxide by high-integrity forests. The Government of the Republic of Congo, through me, confirms to the Wildlife Conservation Society its commitment to collaborate within the framework of this new initiative, with a view to raising its level of ambition on issues linked to biodiversity conservation and the fight against climate change in the Congo Basin.” Together with its partners, WCS aims to create a new High Integrity Forest Investment (HIFOR) asset class, pilot the approach at a number of sites (notably in the Amazon and Congo basins) and set up a system to enable it to be extended and adopted in other geographical areas and by other organizations. Daniel Zarin, WCS Executive Director for Forests and Climate Change, said: "The Congo Basin contains some of the world's most important high-integrity forests and peatlands, making it a critical geography for climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as biodiversity conservation. WCS is keen to work with the government of the Republic of Congo to pilot a mechanism tailored to financing the protection of high-integrity forests based on their value in terms of climate and biodiversity. Our aim is to encourage the Congolese government and people to pursue sustainable, nature-friendly economic development, in keeping with their historic role in conserving tropical forests, Indigenous cultures and the biodiversity they harbor." Investors or buyers of these assets would be able to make a range of contribution claims linked to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and social values. The assets are not carbon offsets and are not eligible for offset claims or offset markets. The first pilot project to be developed in the Republic of Congo will be the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, managed by the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a partnership between the government of Congo and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Other pilot projects in the Republic of Congo will be jointly examined and evaluated using the methodological criteria developed for the HIFOR initiative. Richard Malonga, WCS Country Director for the Republic of Congo, said: "The HIFOR (High Integrity Forest) initiative aims to create a new asset class for climate and biodiversity to help finance the protection of high integrity tropical forests. As you know, WCS believes that the Republic of Congo would be the ideal country to pilot HIFOR as it abounds in high integrity forests and WCS would be delighted to help Congo be the first country in Central Africa to have a HIFOR site. “This is why WCS would like to take advantage of COP28 to jointly announce with the Ministry of Forest Economy the agreement to implement HIFOR pilots in the Republic of Congo." In the Amazon Basin, a HIFOR pilot project is currently being developed in Amazonas, Brazil, based on an agreement between the Amazonas Environment Secretary and WCS Brazil, announced last year at the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. For more information on the High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative go HERE. Mon, 04 Dec 2023 10:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24969 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24970/WCS-and-COMIFAC-Commit-to-a-New-Partnership-in-the-Congo-Basin-to-Effectively-and-Equitably-Conserve-30-Percent-of-Marine-and-Terrestrial-Areas#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24970 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24970&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24970/WCS-and-COMIFAC-Commit-to-a-New-Partnership-in-the-Congo-Basin-to-Effectively-and-Equitably-Conserve-30-Percent-of-Marine-and-Terrestrial-Areas The Executive Secretariat of the Central African Forest Commission (or Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale - COMIFAC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of Target 3 of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. WCS and COMIFAC signed the new partnership agreement last week to support Congo Basin countries in meeting Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to effectively conserve and equitably govern 30 percent of marine and terrestrial areas. This marks the first such Basin-wide partnership between the two organizations and reflects a renewed commitment of Congo Basin countries in delivering nature-based solutions to the combined threat of biodiversity loss and climate change, for the benefit of nature, people, and the planet. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Three Basins Summit, hosted by the Republic of Congo in Brazzaville. The Summit brought together representatives from the world’s three tropical forested basins: the Amazon, the Congo, and Borneo-Mekong-South-East Asia. These three basins account for 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and play a vital role in regulation of global climate and the global carbon flux. A central premise of the Summit is that these three basins should thus capture 80 percent of the existing and future financial mobilization announced at COP 27 for climate, and COP 15 for biodiversity. The agreement between WCS and COMIFAC is for an initial four years and will focus on supporting implementation of Target 3 under the framework of COMIFAC’s convergence plan. Thematic areas of the agreement include conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, training and capacity-building, research, awareness-raising, and the participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. “The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires an effective partnership between the private sector, governments, donors, civil society and academia to achieve its ambitious goals and targets,” said Michel Masozera, Director of Policy and Partnerships for WCS in Africa. “Target 3 specifically calls for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ rights and responsibilities, their contributions, and roles in biodiversity conservation. This is very critical for effective conservation and management of protected areas and other effective conservation measures in the context of Central Africa Region. This Memorandum of Understanding will support not only the Global Biodiversity Framework for Central Africa, but also the COMIFAC Convergence Plan and the WCS 30x30 strategy.” Added Chouaibou Nchoutpouen, Deputy Executive Secretary and Technical Coordinator of COMIFAC: “It is essential to achieve, by 2030, effective protection and management of at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas, in areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, through ecologically significant systems of protected areas. This agreement will enable us to align ourselves with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and other effective conservation measures.” The countries of the COMIFAC region are attracting increasing attention regarding climate and biodiversity issues. The Three Basins Summit and the recent Conferences of the Parties on climate clearly demonstrate that the Congo Basin plays an ever-important role in negotiations on these major issues. The world’s second largest tropical forest after the Amazon is also the only remaining net tropical carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than it emits. This spotlight on Central Africa and the Congo Basin will again be on the agenda at the next Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, to be held in Dubai at the end of 2023. Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:51:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24970 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24972/Nouabale-Ndoki-Becomes-First-Certified-Gorilla-Friendly-TM-National-Park#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24972 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24972&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24972/Nouabale-Ndoki-Becomes-First-Certified-Gorilla-Friendly-TM-National-Park Dropbox for hi-res photos and videos   Republic of Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is proud to have received a global conservation Gorilla FriendlyTM certification, which guarantees the application of best practices in all gorilla-related operations, from tourism to research, to safeguard the wellbeing of the primates and ensure active support for and from the park’s neighboring communities. The Gorilla FriendlyTM certification is a program of Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP). This ecolabel is a first-of-its-kind global initiative designed to highlight operations that provide direct benefits to gorillas, an umbrella species whose protection profits many other plants and animals. Threatened by habitat loss and poaching, gorillas represent a culturally, ecologically, and economically important resource, and their protection is an opportunity to actively bring together parks and neighboring communities. The certification is obtained through a thorough process of verification of all protocols and their correct application in the field and requires an annual audit. It proves that the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park’s management follows the IUCN Best Practice Guidelines for Great Ape Tourism and incorporates Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria for sustainable tourism, as Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park develops its tourism offering, generously funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Park operations are carried out with the highest ethical standards in the interests of animal welfare and have benefited the communities without whose knowledge it would be impossible to work in the forest, creating job opportunities and building local capacities, turning poachers into trackers, and trackers into researchers, and enforcing  strict protocols to guarantee animal health. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been involved in the management of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park since its creation in 1993, and through a fruitful public-private partnership between WCS and the Congolese Ministry of Forest Economy since 2014. Earlier this year, the Park expanded in size to include the Djéké Triangle, a gorilla-rich, unlogged forest in its southern part and home to the three habituated gorilla groups and a research camp. The Triangle includes a community sustainable use zone, allowing for the continued collection of non-timber forest products and traditional fishing. The Gorilla Friendly Certification rewards the decades of work that have gone into habituating four (and soon to be five) groups of gorillas to human presence, leading to major advances in our understanding of their ecology and social structures, and enabling the Park to offer a unique tourist experience. Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:04:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24972 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24974/Release-of-Bushmeat-a-Book-Promoting-a-Holistic-Approach-to-Wild-Meat-in-Central-Africa-Supports-WCS-Vision#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24974 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24974&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24974/Release-of-Bushmeat-a-Book-Promoting-a-Holistic-Approach-to-Wild-Meat-in-Central-Africa-Supports-WCS-Vision Every year, five to six million tons of wild meat are harvested in Central Africa to respond to increasing demand. Almost all animals, from the largest mammals to the smallest insects, are hunted, traded, and consumed. "Culturally and economically, bushmeat is extremely important in Central Africa," explains Theodore Trefon, senior researcher at the Africa Museum, Belgium. "Bushmeat consumption provides vital income and nutrition for millions of people." The growing demand for bushmeat also means the wildlife of Central Africa is being decimated, increasing the risk of rural food insecurity and of new infectious diseases emerging - as HIV, Ebola and Covid-19 have shown.  "But cultural attachment to bushmeat makes this crisis difficult to solve," says Trefon. "My book shows that management strategies by national governments and international NGOs to mitigate unsustainable hunting have been largely inefficient so far." His book, similar to WCS’s ‘From the Forest to the Fork’ conceptual framework, calls for a new holistic approach to wild meat, exploring questions ranging from deforestation and conservation strategies to infectious diseases, hunting practices, consumption motivations, supply and demand dynamics, urban street food, and weak law enforcement capacity. "In my book, I’ve tried to humanize the discourse on the 'bushmeat crisis' by looking at wildlife through local attitudes and behaviors, without taking sides or being judgmental," explains Trefon, for whom the heart of the problem lies mainly in the growing urban demand. "The city is like a huge open mouth, always hungry and never full, as the Congolese sociologist Brice Bionguet says." Theodore Trefon takes an anthropological approach to the subject, through rich ethnographic investigation, a thorough review of literature and extensive interviews. WCS relies on experts like Trefon to inform its strategies to address the bushmeat challenge. Since 2019, WCS has designed and launched two behavior change campaigns aiming at reducing bushmeat consumptions in Pointe-Noire and Kinshasa, with national governments. Two more campaigns are planned in Ouesso and Brazzaville (Republic of Congo). For more information about Bushmeat the book, visit: www.bushmeatafrica.com Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:11:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24974 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24976/Forest-to-Table-a-Focus-on-Bushmeat-in-Central-Africa-in-Nat-Geo-Latest-Issue#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24976 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24976&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24976/Forest-to-Table-a-Focus-on-Bushmeat-in-Central-Africa-in-Nat-Geo-Latest-Issue   Link to story preview: Subscription required for full text   The June 2023 issue of National Geographic devotes 24 pages to the complex issue of bushmeat consumption in the Congo Basin, and highlights WCS initiatives that address the worrying threat of the soaring urban demand for wild protein. Reporter Rene Ebersole and photographer Brent Stirton traveled to both Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide insight into an already alarming situation of risky over-hunting, and to answer a simple question: are there alternatives? In this in-depth feature, National Geographic reports how WCS field programs have provided solutions to curb this trend. These include the EU-funded Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme which is working with partners (FAO, CIRAD and CIFOR) in fifteen countries, USAID’s protein and biodiversity programming, and Urban Bushmeat Program, which is funded by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with support from the Arcus Foundation, the UK government through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and the UKRI GCRF TRADE Hub. WCS is spearheading the use of social marketing to promote behavior change for the conservation of Africa's globally significant wildlife. Two other campaigns are planned in Ouesso and Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), as part of the “Forest to the Fork” multi-pronged approach developed by WCS that inspired the authors to title their paper. "Forest to the Fork is a framework that leads us to consider the bushmeat paradigm in a holistic way, and to provide various supports to communities, consumers and governments at different levels of the bushmeat value chain, with the same ultimate goal: to avoid ecosystem collapse, to protect the cultures of Indigenous People and local communities, and to guarantee their protein and income sources,” explains WCS’s Africa Director for Rights and Communities Dr. Michelle Wieland. For many rural communities in Central Africa, bushmeat is a necessity for their livelihood, as well as an ingrained cultural practice. On the other hand, with the rapid growth of cities like Kinshasa (est. population 17 million, up from 6 million in 2000), bushmeat is also becoming a luxury product for urban dwellers and a lucrative business for some of the actors supplying urban markets. "Unsustainable hunting poses a threat to the survival of certain species, and thus to the food security of the rural populations that depend on it," explains Liliana Vanegas, Urban Bushmeat Program Coordinator at the WCS, "in addition to posing a health risk, as most of the latest epidemics have come from wildlife, such as Ebola, HIV, Mpox.” “We aim at supporting community governance while developing domestic protein, in order to lead to sustainable wildlife consumption for the rural poor" explains Dr. Germain Mavah, WCS senior technical officer leading this project in Congo. The WCS aims to promote local chicken and sheep farming, as imported and frozen livestock meat has long been an obstacle to behavioral change, being considered unhealthy and non-nutritious by rural communities, who see bushmeat as the only "organic" source of protein available to them. The article also quotes Lude Kinzonzi, campaign assistant for WCS's Urban Bushmeat Program who says: "Every year, more than 5 million tons of bushmeat are extracted from the forest (...) at this level, some species will disappear.” Lude has contributed to two social marketing campaigns launched by WCS with the national governments in Pointe-Noire and Kinshasa, to promote Congolese bushmeat-free cuisine. “Eating bushmeat is part of my culture,” says Kinzonzi in the Nat Geo piece, “But if we want people to change their behavior, I needed to be the first person to move in that direction.” Kinzonzi embodies the growing awareness of Central African youth that WCS is helping to raise through various initiatives to address the complexity of bushmeat consumption in terms of cultural practices, food security, public health and conservation. National Geographic’s feature goes live online on May 18th, and will be part of the next issue hitting newsstands on June 1st. Fri, 19 May 2023 13:19:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24976 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24978/Republic-of-Congo-Expands-National-Park-to-Include-Gorilla-Rich-Unlogged-Forest#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24978 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24978&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24978/Republic-of-Congo-Expands-National-Park-to-Include-Gorilla-Rich-Unlogged-Forest The “Djéké Triangle,”an unlogged forest rich in Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, is now part of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Inclusion of the 95 square kilometer (36 square miles) forest comes after more than 25 years of scientific research in the area, and an extensive community consultation to design a management plan that benefits both the local communities and wildlife. “The inclusion of the Djéké triangle into the park not only provides protection for this area of high-integrity forest and its unique biodiversity, but also secures the customary rights of the communities to access and benefit from resources they depend on, such as honey or caterpillars, since we are now assured that this forest will remain intact in perpetuity,” explains WCS’s Ben Evans, the park’s management unit director. Prior to gazettement, WCS spent two years on community consultations in 13 villages and settlements in the area following established standards for obtaining Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. Communities were directly involved in discussing the extension of the Park and identifying areas of cultural and economic importance within Djéké. This resulted in the inclusion of provisions for a community sustainable use zone for the continued harvest of non-timber products and traditional fishing within the Djéké Triangle. The Congolese Government officially ratified the Park Management Plan on February 10, 2023, certifying gazettement of Djéké Triangle and validating sustainable community use. "We are not prohibited from activities such as harvesting leaves, mushroom or honey, or fishing, all of which are allowed in the zoning; what we are prohibited from doing is using firearms, and we agree on this because we know that in Djéké there are gorillas habituated to human presence, and if we use guns, we risk disturbing them," said Gabriel Mobolambi, chief of Bomassa village, the closest settlement to the Djéké triangle, during a final community meeting held in late January 2023, following the validation of the FPIC process by the Congolese Government. The Djéké triangle is an area of global importance for the study of the ecology and behavior of western lowland gorillas, as it is home to Mondika, one of the longest-lasting research sites on this species. Since 1995, three groups of gorillas have been habituated to human presence around Mondika, allowing direct observations of the gorillas in their natural environment. This led to continuous data collection over 25 years, and significant advances in our knowledge of this species, the least well known of the great apes. The Mondika research site provides stable employment for over 40 people, the majority of whom are indigenous, as well as capacity building opportunities for Congolese researchers, with important investments in women’s leadership. The ongoing development of tourism, with the upcoming construction of several lodges in the vicinity of the Park, will further increase the economic opportunities related to the Djéké Triangle for local populations. The gazettement of the Djéké Triangle into the Park was made possible by the Park's long-standing collaboration with Olam Agri, the FSC-certified logging company that operates around the Park. Olam Agri has been involved since 1999 in an innovative tripartite agreement with the government and WCS to contribute to the protection of wildlife in the Northern Congo landscape and reduce the impact of logging. Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was created in 1993 and expanded in 2012, when the 374km2 Goualougo Triangle, an undisturbed tract of forest harboring chimpanzees which had little or no contact with humans, was added to the Park. Following the addition of the Djéké Triangle, the Park now covers a total of 4334 km2. "This is an example to follow for the creation and extension of protected areas in the region, which must be done with the best interests of the country, its inhabitants and its wildlife at heart," commented the Minister of Forest Economy, H.E. Ms. Rosalie Matondo. The Republic of Congo, 60 percent of which is covered by forests, has a dozen protected areas representing 13.36 percent of its territory. This extension comes just a few months after the announcement of the creation of Congo’s first marine protected areas, now covering 12.01 percent of Congo’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Fri, 10 Feb 2023 13:27:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24978 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24980/Say-Ahhh-Fruit-Bat-Gets-a-Check-up-in-the-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24980 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24980&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24980/Say-Ahhh-Fruit-Bat-Gets-a-Check-up-in-the-Republic-of-Congo   WCS and partners test bats for zoonotic diseases as part of long-term health monitoring effort Hi-res image Additional images The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released an image of scientists taking a swab from a straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) to test it for zoonotic diseases such as the Ebola virus. Through a new partnership with the Congolese Foundation for Medical Research (FCRM), blood samples and naso-oropharyngeal swabs will be safely collected from some 100 adult individuals associated with the bat trade to assess their potential disease exposure. This new study will allow experts to better estimate the risk associated with the live trade of fruit bats and the consumption of bat meat, especially in urban areas. Bat sampling in Congo recently took place near Brazzaville. WCS worked with hunters who usually sell their catches in bushmeat markets, and the samples will be tested for the presence of at least three viral families with high zoonotic potential. None have tested positive for filovirus genetic material, but the targeted bat species are known to be reservoirs for filoviruses and to have antibodies to Ebola viruses. Efforts to understand the potential source of this pathogen continue. Science has demonstrated a clear link between pandemics such as COVID-19 and increased human/wildlife interaction, offering critical insight and guidance for future prevention efforts. Since 2012, WCS in partnership with @NIH, has tested more than 1,200 fruit bats across Congo for pathogens with zoonotic potential. Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24980 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24982/WCS-Helps-Congo-Key-in-on-Critical-Wild-Areas-for-Conservation#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24982 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24982&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24982/WCS-Helps-Congo-Key-in-on-Critical-Wild-Areas-for-Conservation The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is building on its long-standing collaboration with the Republic of the Congo's government to work together to identify key biodiversity areas (KBAs) in a country incredibly rich in biodiversity. The one-year KBAs identification program, launched officially on October 11th, aims to provide the precise location of places that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. KBAs can accelerate efforts to reverse the loss of nature by providing governments, private sector actors and others with an accurate data set to better inform future spatial planning decisions and their impact on biodiversity. KBAs also aim at enabling entities that may have negative impacts on nature to avoid or reduce those impacts in the places they would be most damaging. No less than six ministries were attending the launch of the program in Brazzaville, including the ministries of hydrocarbons, mines, and forestry economy. “This is proof of our commitment to the conservation of the biodiversity of our country's terrestrial, aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems,” noted on this occasion the Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, under whose patronage this program will take place. For 30 years, the WCS has been working closely with the Congolese government, helping to lay the scientific groundwork for the creation of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in 1993; the creation of the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park in 2012; the creation of the Ogooué-Leketi National Park in 2018; and, most recently, the creation of three marine protected areas. Many sites in the Congo could qualify as KBAs, including under criterion C, which calls for the inclusion of outstanding examples at the global scale of still-natural and intact places that maintain fully functional ecosystems, essentially undisturbed by significant industrial human influence, such as Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and Lac Télé Community Reserve, managed by the WCS since 1993 and 2001 respectively. Other sites may also meet A1E criterion for their importance to the survival of critically endangered endemic species, such as Bouvier's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus bouvieri. To ensure the effectiveness of this program, WCS Congo was able to count on the support of the KBA Secretariat, as well as the support of WCS Canada, one of the world’s leading program when it comes to the on-the-ground identification of KBAs, which just last week announced the first 73 sites that have been officially given KBA status across Canada while unveiling another more than 900 sites still being considered. “This is one of the ways that WCS is working to advance critical international conservation commitments – by sharing practical knowledge about how to make conservation gains on the ground,” declared WCS Canada’s technical coordinator for the KBA project, Chloé Debyser. Congo’s interest in the KBA process is a sign of the country’s commitment to addressing the global biodiversity crisis in the lead up to the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be held from December 7 to 19 this year in Montreal, Canada. Minister Arlette Soudan-Nonault explained that the KBA process will be an important tool for helping the country meet the “30 x 30” target of protecting 30% of the Republic of the Congo’s lands and waters by 2030. Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24982 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24984/The-Republic-of-the-Congo-Announces-the-Creation-of-the-Countrys-First-Marine-Protected-Areas#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24984 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24984&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24984/The-Republic-of-the-Congo-Announces-the-Creation-of-the-Countrys-First-Marine-Protected-Areas Hi res images and maps The Congo Government, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other organizations, officially announces the creation of the country’s first three Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), protecting marine resources and coastal habitats across more than 4,000 square kilometers (1,544 square miles) and representing 12.01 percent of Congo’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  The area includes globally important nesting grounds for leatherback turtles, and critical migrating and breeding habitat for a number of marine mammals including the Atlantic humpback whale. It is home to the ocean’s largest fish, the open ocean whale shark, and more than 40 species of sharks and rays. It is also home to some of the most productive coastal and offshore fisheries in the world, making a large contribution to the food security of local communities.  “Our meeting shows the culmination of a long process, which we began years ago with the Wildlife Conservation Society, which initiated and supervised the spatial planning process that allowed us to identify sites potentially rich in marine biodiversity and ecologically suitable habitats for the creation of protected areas. I would like to thank our partners who never cease to deploy their efforts for the conservation of biodiversity in Congo, notably WCS, for their multiform support to this conservation action,” declared Her Excellence Rosalie MATONDO, Minister of Forest Economy in charge of protected areas on the occasion of the official ceremony. The MPA creation is part of a national Marine Spatial Plan (MSP), which was approved by the Ministry of Forest Economy in 2019. The MSP was developed with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and partners including the University of Exeter and local NGO Renatura, under the landmark ‘Congo Marine’ Initiative. The Plan identified a total of eleven MPAs in Congo’s Exclusive Economic Zone of which the first three are being announced this week. These include a major marine extension to Conkouati-Douli National Park along the border with Gabon, Loango MPA and Mvassa MPA, covering 4,330 square kilometers (1,671 square miles). The announcement follows extensive community consultations, conducted in part by WCS.  "Fishermen are sometimes afraid to go fishing at sea because they fear encountering large boats, especially at night," explained Martin Safou, a coastal village chief in Bondi, during a community consultation. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) is a threat to the exceptional biodiversity of Congolese waters, but also to the livelihood of thousands of small-scale fishermen who have actively participated in the creation of the MPAs. In 2016, WCS socio-economic surveys showed that 49 percent of small-scale fishermen had suffered loss or damage due to illegal industrial fishing vessels. Nearly 87 percent of the 250 industrial fishing vessels inspected between 2017 and 2019 were in contravention of the fishing regulations, and several shark and ray species found in fishing nets were globally threatened, including 10 Critically Endangered species, according to WCS Congo catch tracking scheme. The creation of MPAs, which provide for community fishing zones, are intended to be an effective tool against illegal and unregulated fishing.  According to Richard Malonga, WCS Country Director in Congo, “It is a pleasure to note that the support that the WCS Congo program brings to the government is capitalized through this series of creations of marine protected areas and the extension of the Conkouati National Park on its marine part. Today the Republic of Congo has optimized its participation in international efforts to conserve the marine environment, which has reached more than 10% of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) dedicated to conservation which is also in line with objective 11 of the Aichi Convention.” Through its Congo Marine program, WCS will continue to support the Ministry of Forest Economy in building institutional and technical capacity in MPA management, promote the establishment of an MPA network covering more than 30 percent of the EEZ and assist stakeholders and local administrations in the sustainable management of resources. In an effort to ramp up regional commitment to protecting marine biodiversity and preserving sustained small-scale fisheries, WCS will also promote synergies and linkages with the transboundary "Blue Gabon" program covering adjacent MPAs in order to strengthen multinational protection. WCS support to the creation of Congo’s Marine Protected Areas is made possible thanks to the financial support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and donors to the WCS Marine Protected Area Fund (MPA Fund), a partnership with the Waitt Foundation. Wed, 31 Aug 2022 13:44:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24984 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24988/Community-Run-African-Reserve-that-Stores-Almost-a-Billion-Tons-of-Carbon-Quietly-Celebrates-its-20th-Anniversary#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24988 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24988&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24988/Community-Run-African-Reserve-that-Stores-Almost-a-Billion-Tons-of-Carbon-Quietly-Celebrates-its-20th-Anniversary As the world’s climate leaders gather in Glasgow for the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP26), a little-known Community Reserve in the Republic of Congo – that stores almost a billion tons of carbon – quietly celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. The Lac Télé Community Reserve (LTCR), the only Community Reserve in Congo, protects the natural heritage of this exceptional place by the people who live there. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Congo’s Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) ensure the collaborative management of the 4,400 square kilometer (1,700 square mile) reserve located in the Likouala region. The Lac Télé region is a RAMSAR-listed wetland of international importance made up of swamp forests, flooded savannahs, floating grasslands and forested peatlands. It is located in the world's largest tropical peatland – nearly 145,000 square kilometers, which as a whole stores nearly 30 billion tons of carbon – estimated to be more than is stored in the entire above ground tree biomass of the Congo Basin, or roughly three times the annual industrial carbon emissions of the entire planet. Lac Télé harbors rich flora and fauna, supporting the highest known density of gorillas in the world, along with large populations of chimpanzees, forest elephants, hippos, and an incredible diversity of birds, fish, and plants. Twenty 20,000 people share this incredible landscape, spread over 27 communities, earning a living mostly from fishing and agriculture. The richness of the region's fauna was confirmed in 1996, following surveys carried out by the IUCN. The following year, a two-year civil war began in Congo. Sais Roger Mobongo, a key member of the community development team that has worked for Lac Télé since its beginning: “Military weapons entered the region following the war in 1997, which led to an increase in poaching. The creation of the Reserve in 2000 was a necessity.” In 2001, WCS signed a co-management partnership to support the government's commitment to protecting these important wetlands and their importance for wildlife, climate and local livelihoods. The successful collaboration between MEF, WCS, and the local communities has helped curb poaching through the deployment of ecoguards throughout the Reserve. For Gérard Bondeko, community coordinator who has also been involved in Lac Télé for 20 years, even more important than the guards is “the awareness of the people” of the importance of safeguarding their environment. Says Bondeko: “The evidence of animal is more important today. When we talk to the people, they tell us that they have seen animals where there were none before.” At the end of 2020, for example, a solitary gorilla surprised the village of Iyahou by spending several weeks peacefully near the inhabitants. Nicknamed “Gentil,” this astonishing primate was then followed until its return to the heart of the forest by teams from the reserve to ensure its safety. “The reserve has provided support for agricultural development, for the production of maize, manioc, peanuts and cocoa, using innovative techniques,” Gérard continues, “We brought in an improved variety of cocoa, which produces pods in two and a half years. Today, the people who received seedlings are ready to produce. The aim is to get the communities to participate in the development of a green economy.” However, Lac Télé continues to face major challenges. “The biggest threat today is bushfires, which affect animal habitats and risk silting up rivers,” explains Roger Mobongo. “Twenty thousand people depend on the Reserve's natural resources, so the challenges are many,” adds Bola Madzoke, who is in charge of ecological monitoring and is a native of Lac Télé, “But the people understand what is at stake.” Lac Télé now employs 55 people, the majority of whom are from the Reserve, making it one of the main sources of employment in the region. In the past, the Reserve has been able to work with communities on key issues, such as best sustainable fishing practices. Through village meetings, environmental education, radio spots, films and awareness posters, the team is looking forward to meeting these challenges for the benefit of the entire Reserve. Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:59:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24988 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24992/Partnership-Renewed-with-WCS-Republic-of-Congo-and-Forestry-Company-to-Protect-Wildlife-and-Biodiversity#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24992 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24992&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24992/Partnership-Renewed-with-WCS-Republic-of-Congo-and-Forestry-Company-to-Protect-Wildlife-and-Biodiversity Olam International’s subsidiary Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) of the Republic of Congo (ROC) have renewed their partnership agreement to protect wildlife around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in northern ROC. The national park is part of a Trinational UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for the importance of its animal and plant biodiversity. The renewed agreement was signed on 8th August 2021 in Pokola, Congo-Brazzaville, in the presence of the Minister of Forestry Economy, Her Excellence Madam Rosalie Matondo, and the Minister of Preschool, Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy, His Excellence Mister Jean-Luc Mouthou. The agreement bolsters the effort to combat poaching in forestry concessions where CIB operates. “Poaching poses a real threat to the integrity, peace and security of States. This is a high-profile act that we have just taken, because it is only together, by relying on the synergies of all, that we can combat this modern-day scourge. Through the signing of this protocol, we are paving the way for effective, sustainable and transparent management of the wildlife in the peripheral zone of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, which is rightly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” said the Minister of Forest Economy following the signing of the protocol. This innovative tripartite agreement was first signed in 1999 to mark the establishment of the PROGEPP (Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park Peripheral Ecosystems Management Project), which operates across three Forest Management Units (FMU) extending to more than 1.5million hectares. The PROGEPP creates a crucial buffer zone that applies a blended model of wildlife protection and management, community engagement and ecological monitoring to protect the park's wildlife population from illegal poaching. Said Vincent Istace, Director, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, at CIB: “There is no single strategy to effectively halt biodiversity loss while improving people's lives. We are convinced that a forest conservation approach can only succeed if this is addressed if all stakeholders work together through a concerted effort. We are delighted to continue our partnership with WCS and the government of Republic of Congo to strengthen efforts to protect the endangered species and local biodiversity in this ecologically unique and significant region.” Created in 1993 with strong support from the WCS, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is a 4,000 km2 stronghold for critically endangered forest elephants and significant populations of chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas. The PROGEPP initiative has established a protective corridor between Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and the Lac Télé Community Reserve, which is on one of the world's most extensive tropical peatlands and is critical to climate change mitigation. This agreement is pioneering a conservation management model that brings public and private sector partners together to tackle the immediate threat of poaching and to protect endangered animals around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Said Richard Malonga, Director of WCS Congo: “Regarding wildlife conservation, the results have been very positive and the conservation outcomes are on a scale that could not have been achieved by focusing on the protected areas alone. This agreement reflects our commitment to the rational and sustainable use of natural resources in the peripheral zone of the park, and also our endorsement of a transparent, sincere, efficient, fruitful, and mutually beneficial partnership to ensure the effectiveness in meeting the challenges of sustainable resource management.” Implementation of these agreements will benefit from the crucial financial support from ECOFAC (European Union), the AFD (French Development Agency), the FFEM (French Facility for Global Environment) and the UK government through its FGMC facility. Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24992 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24996/In-Memoriam-to-Marcel-Ngangoue-A-Defender-of-the-Rights-of-Wildlife-A-Tribute-by-Richard-Malonga-WCS-Congo-Director#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=24996 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=24996&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/24996/In-Memoriam-to-Marcel-Ngangoue-A-Defender-of-the-Rights-of-Wildlife-A-Tribute-by-Richard-Malonga-WCS-Congo-Director It is with a heavy heart I report the death of our Nouabalé Ndoki Park Warden, Marcel Ngangoue, who passed away on May 16th in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, after a short illness. Who was Marcel? After graduating as a technician in forestry, Marcel first worked for the Ministry of Water and Forests in the Likouala region of the Congo as a controller of logging concessions between 1991-1997. During this period, Marcel was more interested in working with logging companies than being a wildlife conservationist. But working closely with the neighboring Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, he became closer and closer to the WCS team with Mike Fay, Richard Ruggiero, Djoni Bourges and many others. Marcel ended up expressing his passion to become a defender of the rights of wildlife, as he liked to say himself. He got his start with WCS first in 1998 in the station of Makao for the Nouabalé Ndoki National Park, managing the rangers, and then as the head of anti-poaching for the Project for the Management of Ecosystems in the Periphery of the NNNP (PROGEPP). He then left to go to Garoua, a wildlife school in Cameroon for two years. When he returned, he served in different conservation projects in the country and then came back to Nouabalé Ndoki National Park in 2015 where he has shown his determination, commitment and his passion to accomplish his mission as an anti-poaching leader. After 23 years of his leadership on anti-poaching efforts, Marcel won the 2019 African Ranger Award, which recognizes and supports the achievements and efforts of forest rangers who are addressing the precipitous decline of Africa's wildlife due to poaching, habitat lost and illegal trade in wildlife. During his mandate, Marcel handled the arrest of a notorious Congolese poacher who was convicted to 30 years in prison for ivory trafficking and attempted murder of park rangers in 2020. Marcel always said the protection of wildlife is a commitment we accepted to serve the future generation. He will be missed by his family, our WCS team, and all who had the pleasure to work and engage with him. Wed, 19 May 2021 14:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:24996 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25000/New-Endangered-and-Critically-Endangered-status-for-African-elephants#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25000 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25000&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25000/New-Endangered-and-Critically-Endangered-status-for-African-elephants The overall declining trend of both African elephant species calls for increased support by donors, governments of the elephant range states, and the international community to ensure that elephant populations start to stabilize and even begin a route to recovery. The African savannah elephant and the forest elephant have now been classified as Endangered and Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. This comes after a recent decision by the African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG) of IUCN that the science is clear and it will now treat forest elephants and savannah elephants, formerly considered the same species (African elephant) as two distinct species. Since its very first Red Listing in 1986, the African elephant was assessed as a single species and (with the exception of 1996, when it was listed as Endangered, but then downlisted again), listed by IUCN as Vulnerable.  This means that both of these species are now recognized as moving to a more threatened status. The African forest elephant is now listed as Critically Endangered, and the African savannah elephant as Endangered. Following this reclassification, WWF and WCS are both calling for continued and renewed vigilance, enforcement, anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, and habitat protection efforts for all elephants in Africa - and particularly for the critically endangered forest elephant. Since the IUCN Red List of 2008, the Central African elephant population (mostly forest elephants), whose population comprises approximately a quarter of all African elephants, was listed as more threatened than savannah elephants. This was partly because forest elephant ivory is harder than savannah elephant ivory, and was preferred by Japanese ivory carvers, as it can be carved into very fine detail. Whilst governments like China have made great strides by closing their domestic ivory markets, including increasing enforcement efforts, more needs to be done to reduce demand for ivory. In some parts of Africa the crash in tourist presence due to the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a new threat of increased poaching because of the reduced income to maintain law enforcement efforts. Besides the threat of international trade in ivory, an emerging threat for forest elephants is the decline in fruit production in the forest. A study published in September 2020 found that climate change caused an 81% decline in fruit production over the last thirty years (1986–2018) in Lope National Park - a very long-term research site- in Central Gabon. That in turn resulted in an 11% decline in elephants’ body condition between 2008 and 2018. A 2016 study found that forest elephants reproduce more slowly, and have a longer generation time (31 years) than savannah elephants. Forest elephants start to breed at a later age, and with longer intervals between calves, than other elephant species. They are thus more vulnerable to poaching than their faster-breeding savannah cousins, because they cannot “bounce back” as rapidly from population reductions. Given the overall declining trend of both African elephant species, donors and governments need to increase their support to elephant range States to ensure that their populations start to stabilise and even begin a route to recovery. In addition, it is vital that international efforts are intensified to stop ivory trafficking all along the chain, from the source in the forests and grasslands of Africa all the way to its destinations, across the globe. With this new classification, there is no time to wait. Reacting to the news: Said Dr. Susan Lieberman WCS Vice President, International Policy: “WCS has seen the ravages of elephant poaching firsthand in the countries where we work throughout Africa. This new classification by IUCN is an urgent call to action that governments and broader society need to do more to stop ivory trafficking, whether it is in Africa itself, or along the far-ranging trade routes and eventual destinations where ivory continues to be smuggled.” "Conservation of African elephants has been an important part of WWF’s work since the founding of the organisation and for the first time the two species have been assessed separately for the IUCN Red List. Their new status is an urgent call to address the major threats to both African elephant species to ensure they thrive for the benefit of nature and people for generations to come," says Dr. Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife, Practice Leader. Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25000 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25002/WCS-Commends-Congolese-Justice-System-on-30-Year-Sentence-of-Notorious-Elephant-Poacher-and-Ivory-Trafficker-in-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25002 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25002&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25002/WCS-Commends-Congolese-Justice-System-on-30-Year-Sentence-of-Notorious-Elephant-Poacher-and-Ivory-Trafficker-in-Republic-of-Congo Poacher “Guyvanho,” is the first wildlife trafficker convicted in the Criminal Court in the Republic of Congo, Previously all environmental crimes were tried in the civil courts where the maximum penalty under the wildlife law was 5 years Guyvanho was convicted of attempted murder of Park rangers and trafficking elephant ivory among other charges following a 3-year investigation WCS says Guyvanho likely responsible for killing hundreds of elephants since 2008 Conviction will serve as a major deterrent for future wildlife crimes in region​ The following statement is from Dr. Emma Stokes, WCS Regional Director of Central Africa, on the 30-year sentence handed down on Aug. 19, 2020 by a criminal court in the Republic of Congo to a notorious poacher for attempted murder of park rangers, ivory trafficking, and other charges. The sentence marks the first-ever conviction in the criminal courts of a wildlife trafficker in the Republic of Congo: “This week, a criminal court in the Republic of Congo sentenced a notorious poacher and ivory trafficker, Mobanza Mobembo Gérard, alias ‘Guyvanho,’ to 30 years in prison for the attempted murder of Park rangers, trafficking of ivory from poached elephants, possession of military weapons, and other charges. He was also required to pay damages of 38 million Central African Francs (~USD 68,000) to the injured rangers. “The sentencing is the culmination of more than three years of work by the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park’s Wildlife Crime Unit and Anti-Poaching department. It is also the result of fruitful cooperation with multiple Congolese authorities, including the Ministry of Forest Economy, the Police, and District Prosecutors. Investigations had revealed that Guyvanho led a group of approximately 25 poachers that based on the number of hunts reported could have killed upwards of 500 elephants in the area since 2008. “This unprecedented conviction in the criminal court is a major milestone in the protection of wildlife in the Republic of Congo. Previously, all environmental crimes were tried in the civil courts where the maximum penalty under the wildlife law was five years. Today’s sentencing sends an extremely strong message that wildlife crime will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted at the highest levels. We are confident that today’s sentence will serve as a deterrent to would-be criminals that you will serve hard time if you break our wildlife laws and put park rangers and Congo’s national security in danger. After his sentencing, an official from the Sangha District court declared: ‘this verdict confirms the fact that under the pretext of being poaching gangs, it is actually well-organized criminal gangs operating in our forests.’ “WCS commends our government partners in the Republic of Congo and thanks our donors for their ongoing support in this case, including The Wildcat Foundation, Save the Elephants' and Wildlife Conservation Network’s Elephant Crisis Fund, the Sangha Trinational Trust Fund, US State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the European Union, and the United States Agency for International Development’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (USAID-CARPE). Background/Timeline of Arrest and Conviction In early 2018, Guyvanho - a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo who had arrived in northern Republic of Congo around 2008 - and several other members of his team were caught in an operation led by Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park rangers having killed 11 elephants. A firefight ensued and Guyvanho was initially able to escape, but three members of his team were arrested. Their statements provided sufficient grounds for an arrest warrant to be issued against him. In addition to the number of elephants killed, this incident demonstrated the willingness of this group to respond with violence when challenged. This was indicative of a trend of increasing violence of elephant poaching gangs in and around the Park. In May 2018, Guyvanho was arrested and remanded in prison in the provincial town of Ouesso to await trial.  However, on 2 June 2018, 12 days before his trial was to take place, Guyvanho escaped from the Ouesso prison. Nonetheless his trial went ahead, and he was sentenced in absentia to 5 years in prison with a 5 million Central African Franc (approximately USD 9000) fine. A further arrest warrant was issued – he remained a priority target of the Park’s Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) - and locations known to be used by Guyvanho were monitored, but no further progress was made in arresting him.  However, he was cited as a participant in a number of subsequent hunts, each of which featured exchanges of gunfire with Park rangers. On 31st May 2019 a ranger patrol returning to Park HQ happened across a group of poachers – including Guyvanho – returning from a hunt. The patrol was fired upon by the poachers, resulting in the wounding of two patrol members (one of whom was seriously wounded and whose life was saved by the medical training of other rangers). Guyvanho was again able to escape but was reported to have bragged about the incident. This information was passed to the authorities along with a new location for Guyvanho’s home. A surveillance operation was launched to confirm the information from the WCU, and, based on this information, Guyvanho was arrested by the Ouesso police on 20 July 2019. Guyvanho was returned to prison in Ouesso to serve his sentence but following a further escape attempt, this time unsuccessful, it became clear that Guyvanho had a sufficiently strong support network in Ouesso that another escape attempt would be highly likely. A transfer to Brazzaville prison was therefore requested by the Park authorities and approved and in August 2019 Guyvanho and 3 associates were successfully moved.  All will be transferred back to Brazzaville next week to serve their sentences. ​​​​ Mon, 24 Aug 2020 14:44:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25002 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25006/Ecotourism-to-Bring-Post-COVID-19-hope-for-Wildlife-and-Communities-in-Northern-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25006 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25006&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25006/Ecotourism-to-Bring-Post-COVID-19-hope-for-Wildlife-and-Communities-in-Northern-Congo The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of the Congo (RoC) and in partnership with the Congo Conservation Company (CCC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announce a four-year program with the intent to develop ecotourism in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in northern Congo-Brazzaville. Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is one of the most remote, biologically intact forest landscapes left on the planet. Covering 400,000 hectares of pristine tropical rainforest, it is a globally important stronghold for critically endangered species such as the western lowland gorilla and forest elephant. WCS has been involved in the management of the park since its creation in 1993 and today the Park is managed under a public-private partnership between WCS and the RoC Government. The ecotourism potential of the Park has long been unparalleled, but until now the professional tourism management expertise needed to open up this area to low-impact, wildlife-based tourism was missing. “We are today announcing a program that will transform how the world sees Congo and its wildlife,” said Richard Malonga, Country Director for WCS Congo. “Decades of research have demonstrated the unique, but vulnerable status of northern Congo’s biodiversity. By developing a responsibly managed tourism operation that will attract international and domestic tourists to the park, we are creating a secure future for the people and wildlife of one of the most important wild areas in Central Africa. This is much needed good news during the COVID-19 pandemic and will play a key role in helping the area recover from its impact.” The partnership will create Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park’s first professionally managed tourism concession, construct two new eco-lodges in the Park’s periphery, develop new ecotourism products, train people from local communities in hospitality and management skills, and launch a concerted marketing campaign to promote the area – all to secure the long-term future of a unique Congo Basin landscape. Revenue created by this program will be reinvested in surrounding communities, creating jobs and helping to protect the remarkable biodiversity of the Park. The program will deliver a boost to the RoC Government’s objective of developing a greener economy. The professional tourism management expertise will be brought to the partnership by the Congo Conservation Company (CCC). They focus on areas that boast significant wildlife populations and potential for the development of successful ecotourism products, but where professional tourism management capacity has so far been limited.  CCC is of the view is that ecotourism can play a central role in protecting Africa’s most threatened ecosystems while delivering real benefits to local people. CCC has been pioneering rainforest ecotourism in the Congo Basin for the last decade and they are delighted to bring their expertise to this partnership with WCS, where they will work together to put Nouabalé-Ndoki on the African tourism map. The partners have come together under a new USAID initiative, the Environmental Partnerships Program, which seeks to create new public-private sector partnerships, accelerating Central Africa's transition to sustainable development while mitigating threats to the biodiversity of Central Africa’s forests. USAID support will provide critical resources to park operations – helping to protect the very biodiversity that tourists will visit Congo to experience. Dr. Paul Sabatine, Mission Director of USAID/DRC, said: “I am very pleased that USAID is continuing to partner with the Government of the Republic of Congo to create new tourism opportunities and expand this activity in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Congratulations to the Congo Conservation Company and Wildlife Conservation Society on their partnership to bring the benefits of tourism to this incredible park and communities living nearby. I was lucky enough to visit the park and am so happy that together we are creating another project that will contribute to the ROC's priorities of wildlife conservation, economic diversification, job creation, and improvement of wellbeing for the Congolese people. I look forward to following the activity's success in delivering results that can be scaled up here in RoC.”  An official launch event in Brazzaville is planned for when risks from COVID-19 have reduced and the program partners can safely congregate – the hope is for the final quarter of the year. Thu, 11 Jun 2020 14:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25006 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25008/Rare-Giant-Pangolin-Seized-from-Poachers-Rescued-and-Released-by-WCS-and-Partners-in-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25008 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25008&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25008/Rare-Giant-Pangolin-Seized-from-Poachers-Rescued-and-Released-by-WCS-and-Partners-in-Congo A giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) that was seized from poachers in Northern Congo has been successfully rescued and returned to the wild by WCS staff and partners. The photos included (see link above) show the pangolin in the basket used for transport during the rescue operation; rehydrating in the room at the WCS facility where it spent one night; and the animals as it is released into the wild.   Pangolins are among the most commonly trafficked animals in the world and WCS has been working to protect the species through conservation science and international policy. They are extremely sensitive and usually die when taken from the wild by poachers. WCS staff in Congo were faced with an enormous task when they received a call that a giant pangolin had been seized by Congolese authorities. The animal required immediate attention if it were to survive. Thanks to the collaboration between teams from WCS’s Wildlife Health Program, the Tikki Hywood Foundation, and the Sangha Pangolin Project in Central African Republic the animal is safely roaming in the forests of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Said Emma Stokes, WCS Central Africa Regional Director: “I am proud that WCS were able to assist with this release. Pangolins are in trouble worldwide due to the illegal wildlife trade, so whenever live animals caught in the trade can be seized and quickly released into good habitat we will act to improve their chance of survival.” Pangolins are insectivorous and nocturnal mammals that are highly susceptible to stress and generally do not survive in human care. They feed exclusively on termites and wild ants and dehydrate quickly often leading to a rapid death. The female recovered from the poacher had already been in his or her possession for two weeks making the situation even more dire. Experts from the Tikki Hywood Foundation guided the WCS teams instructing the care givers to keep the animal hydrated and release it as soon as possible. The female giant pangolin was a juvenile weighing nearly 40 pounds and measuring more than three-and-a-half feet in length. It was transported to the WCS Congo offices in the town of Ouesso, Republic of Congo in a plastic laundry basket. The animal was cleaned of debris caught in the scales and provided water in an empty room where it would be safe and allowed to recover from its stress. Understanding that time was of the essence, the team transported the animal at first light. It was taken to the edge of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, a protected area in the northern part of Republic of Congo, where Dr. Alain Ondzie, a wildlife veterinarian with the WCS Wildlife Health Program in Congo, was able to examine the animal. It was determined that other than a minor injury to its leg, the pangolin was in good health considering what was likely a traumatic couple of weeks. It was then released and allowed to walk into the forest. Also known as the scaly anteater, pangolins are sought for their large scales made of keratin, the same substance as rhino horn and human fingernails. In Africa their scales are used in spiritual and cultural ritual; in Asia they are used in traditional medicines. Pangolins are also trafficked for food and are considered a delicacy in some cultures. The giant pangolin is the largest of eight pangolin species and adults can weigh up to 75 pounds. They are native to Central Africa and classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Estimates indicate that more than a million animals were poached between 2004 and 2014. In 2016, the 186 countries party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the treaty that regulates the international wildlife trade, voted to ban the commercial trade in pangolins. Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25008 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25010/Three-WCS-Rangers-Win-African-Ranger-Award#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25010 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25010&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25010/Three-WCS-Rangers-Win-African-Ranger-Award Award is given by Alibaba Foundation and Paradise International Foundation WCS rangers working in Cameroon, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo are honored Rangers from 17 African nations awarded  Three WCS rangers have won the African Ranger Award, which recognizes and supports the achievements and efforts of rangers working to combat the precipitous decline of Africa's wildlife species due to poaching, habitat loss, and the illegal wildlife trade. The WCS recipients include: Marcel Ngangoue, Head of Conservation of Biodiversity and Law enforcement at Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in the park’s headquarters, Bomassa, Republic of Congo; Suleiman Saidu, who works in the Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria; and Alexandre Nguertou who works in Bouba-Njidda National Park in Yamoussa, Cameroon. Marcel Ngangoue got his start with WCS first in the village of Makao for NNNP ranger management, and then as the first anti-poaching leader for the Project for the Management of Ecosystems in the Periphery of the NNNP (PROGEPP), starting in 1998 and expanding to cover the Kabo, Loundougou, and Pokola concessions for anti-poaching and buffer zone security for NNNP. He worked as the anti-poaching leader with WCS in PROGEPP from 1998-2003 and then left to go to Garoua a wildlife school in Cameroon for two years. When he returned he went to the USLAB concession in the town of Betou in September of 2005, and then back to NNNP in 2015. Alexandre Vailia was recruited in March 2017 as “Field Officer” in the WCS BSB Yamoussa project, which supports the binational transboundary protected area complex of the Séna Oura National Park in Chad and Bouba Ndjida National Park in Cameroon. There he worked for the park's lodge as head of personnel and for the Mayo Rey Conservation association, which is a local community association helping in anti-poaching and sensitization work in the area. Vailia directly drives overall anti-poaching activities. Additionally, he is charge of maintaining relations with local populations, and is a valuable air observer during aerial patrols and surveys. He is also involved in training guards, and is known for his knowledge of wildlife and his expertise in anti-poaching techniques. WCS is working in partnership with the Governments of Cameroon and Chad, with funding from German Government (KfW), to establish Bouba-Njidda National Park and Sena-Oura National Park management and wildlife law enforcement systems to secure the elephant, Kordofan giraffe, giant eland, lion and other key wildlife populations of the landscape. Suleiman Saidu is a Senior Game Guard Ranger at the Yankari Game Reserve in Nigeria. WCS has supported ranger patrols in Yankari since 2009 but took over all ranger patrols in 2014 through a co-management agreement and has worked very closely with Saidu to help better protect the remaining elephants, lions and other wildlife in Yankari. WCS helped to train and mentor Saidu and some other rangers over the years to effectively carry out anti-poaching patrols, human-elephant conflict mitigation, monitoring of lions, prosecution of poachers in the court, and ranger training. Saidu helps to enforce discipline amongst his colleagues and has helped to enforce zero tolerance to corruption in the ranger force. His dedication toward his job has helped set example to the other rangers. He is highly respected by his colleagues and within the local community due to his diligence, hard work, commitment and honesty. Saidu leads the other rangers by example. He has grown through the ranks from a park ranger to a Senior Game Guard Ranger. Under WCS supervision, there has been no elephant poaching in the reserve since 2015. Suleiman has also traveled to other protected areas across Nigeria to help train other rangers. The awards were launched in 2017 by Jack Ma - the founder of Alibaba Group and a board member of the Paradise International Foundation and seeks to identify 500 rangers over the course of 10 years and will provide grants totaling US $1.5M to support their work.   A total of 50 rangers were selected this year from 115 nominated rangers. Among them, 19 are from Kenya, five from Tanzania, three from DRC, three from Rwanda, two from Liberia, two from Malawi, two from Zambia, two from Zimbabwe, two from the Republic of Benin, two from Cameroon, one from Ethiopia, one from South Africa, one from Namibia, one from Nigeria, one from the Republic of Congo, one from Sudan, and one from Uganda. “The responsibility of the rangers is the responsibility of everyone. We only have one earth. If the earth is sick, nobody will be well,” said Jack Ma. The awards were presented on November 14th at a ceremony in Accra Ghana. During the ceremony, awardees told stories of their work. Marcel Ngangoue, Head of Conservation of Biodiversity and Law enforcement at Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, described highlights from his 20-year career as a ranger. Said Ngangoue: “Ndoki is one of the world’s primary forests that has never been exploited or inhabited. It is part of the Tri-National de la Sangha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But protecting Ndoki is increasingly difficult, as poachers apply very complex operating modes with the use of military weapons. But thanks to the successful management of the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a public-private partnership between WCS and the Congolese government, the elephant population has remained stable since 2006.” Jack Ma closed the ceremony by commending all the rangers for their work in protecting wildlife. Said Ma: “We will do more for next year, supporting more people, supporting more rangers to wake up more people to protect the earth, to protect Africa, and to protect the wildlife so we can live together.” Wed, 20 Nov 2019 15:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25010 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25014/Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park-Celebrates-its-25th-Anniversary#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25014 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25014&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25014/Nouabale-Ndoki-National-Park-Celebrates-its-25th-Anniversary The Nouabalé-Ndoki Park, formed between WCS, the government of the Republic of Congo, and the local communities, is arguably the most advanced and demonstrably successful conservation models of its kind in Africa Park is managed by Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation – a partnership between WCS and Congo Government Nouabale-Ndoki continues its long record of safeguarding wildlife – recent surveys show stable elephant and great ape numbers Park’s intact forests help buffer against climate change Ecotourism development, boosting the local economy, is next priority Rosalie Matondo, the Republic of Congo’s Minister of Forestry Economy; Henri Djombo, Congo’s Minister of State, and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; Arlette Soudan Nonault, Congo’s Minister of Tourism and the Environment; the U.S. Ambassador, Todd Haskell; and the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS’s) Africa program, Tim Tear celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park – a stunning protected area, and World Heritage Site, that spans 1,621 square miles (4,200 square kilometers) of pristine lowland rainforest safeguarding some of Central Africa’s best-known wildlife. The Nouabalé-Ndoki Park, formed between WCS, the government of the Republic of Congo, and the local communities, is arguably the most advanced and demonstrably successful conservation models of its kind in Africa. For the last 25 years, the Congolese Ministry of Forestry Economy (MEF) and WCS have worked together, with other national and international partners, to ensure the protection of this natural sanctuary. The partnership began in the late 1980s, when conservationists from these two organizations first began exploring the area, documenting its wildlife and habitat. In 1993, the government of Congo recognized the importance of the Ndoki forest for biodiversity conservation and created the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. In 2014, the Congolese Government decided to delegate the management of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park to a private foundation, the Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, a partnership between the government of Congo and WCS. Its primary goal is to ensure the sustainable management and financing of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, with a board of directors, including representatives from local communities, setting the overall strategy for the foundation and a park-management unit responsible for implementing activities on the ground. “The development of such a transparent framework for all major strategic and management decisions has ensured a high degree of accountability for all stakeholders, and has facilitated a notable increase in the effectiveness of on-the-ground conservation activities,” said Mark Gately, Director of WCS’s Republic of Congo Program. Recently released survey results have shown that elephant and great ape numbers remain stable not only in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, but also in its periphery showing the effectiveness of the landscape approach to protecting wildlife. Every five years, over the past decade and a half, large mammals have been monitored by foot surveys on line transects across the Ndoki-Likouala landscape - a vast swath of forest in northern Republic of Congo. The latest survey estimated that there are still 3200 forest elephants in the park and another 6300 in its periphery, while there are an estimated 2200 gorillas in the park and 24000 in its periphery. Nouabalé-Ndoki has particularly high densities of chimpanzees with an estimated 3000 in the park and 5000 in the periphery. These results were also used in a WCS study that compiled data across Western Equatorial Africa and showed that far more gorillas exist than previously thought. The study confirmed that the forests of northern Congo are home to the largest stronghold of western lowland gorillas, with more than 60 percent of the world’s gorillas found here. The management and protection measures implemented under the auspices of the Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation are paving the way for what is being referred to as ‘frontier tourism’ – travel to some of Africa’s most remote and seldom visited destinations. Wildlife-based tourism has significant potential to generate new revenue streams for the support of protected area management, and the development of local communities living near to those areas. With its stable wildlife populations, intact forest, and the presence of natural forest clearings (‘bais’) in the area that provide extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities, Nouabalé-Ndoki has much to offer.  Currently operating tourism at a small scale, the Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation is investing in substantial scaling up of tourism activities to develop Nouabalé-Ndoki as a world class tourism destination that will contribute to Congo’s planned development of a green economy. A vision that is shared by the government and all its main international partners. Already one of the biggest employers in this remote corner of Congo, planned tourism development will further boost local employment by the park through the creation of hospitality jobs and economic opportunities that arise as more tourists pass through the area. The Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation is also focusing on a combination of strengthening community governance and capacity to manage hunting and fishing on community lands and waters, providing scholarships for higher education for local students and providing families with access to health services. During her address at the park’s anniversary celebration, Minister Rosalie Matondo highlighted the park’s work to support local communities, Said Minister Matondo: “Jobs have been created for the benefit of the local populations and many young people in our country have also profited from internships and specialized training in the field of wildlife and protected areas, both at home and abroad, with a view to strengthening their capacity to intervene.” These actions are helping to improve the wellbeing of rural families, secure the hunting and fishing life-ways and cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and building a constituency for the park and wildlife conservation. Today’s celebration was hosted by the U.S. Ambassador, and featured an exhibition of images showcasing the park's spectacular wildlife and scenery and the work undertaken by its staff.  A short film on the park was also screened at the event and will be broadcasted on national television channels. Remoteness has long provided protection for the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. However, in recent years the rapid encroachment of roads outside the park limits, along with a fast-growing peri-urban population and an escalating illegal global trade in ivory, has exposed the Nouabalé-Ndoki forest to unprecedented levels of poaching pressure on its doorstep. While the threats remain high, the efforts of the men and women who have worked for the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park over the past quarter century have successfully allowed the Park to retain its status as one of the last true wildernesses left on the continent. As we face worrying news on the health of our planet and the status of many of the species we share it with, the protection of intact forests like Nouabalé-Ndoki, which buffer against global climate change and safeguard endangered species, is crucial.   The Wildlife Conservation Society’s long-term conservation efforts in northern Congo have been supported by many generous donors over the past three decades.  Today, funding for the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park comes from a wide range of donors, including (listed in alphabetical order) the Elephant Crisis Fund - a joint initiative between Save The Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, European Union, Fondation Tri-National de la Sangha, Global Environmental Facility (GEF); The Wildcat Foundation; The U.K. Government Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Challenge Fund; United States Agency of International Development (USAID) - Central African Regional Programme for the Environment (CARPE); United States Department of State - Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; United States Fish and Wildlife Service; United States Forestry Service. Leadership support for WCS's long-term conservation efforts in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was provided by Liz Clairborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the Arcus Foundation, and many others. Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:24:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25014 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25018/Professionalized-Anti-Poaching-Operations-Led-to-Arrest-and-Conviction-of-Four-Elephant-Poachers-in-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25018 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25018&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25018/Professionalized-Anti-Poaching-Operations-Led-to-Arrest-and-Conviction-of-Four-Elephant-Poachers-in-Republic-of-Congo Four poachers responsible for killing elephants in the periphery of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the local district court on Thursday the 22nd of November.  Leonard Beckou, the gang leader, is a repeat wildlife crime offender, having been arrested twice before in 2015 and 2016. His latest poaching raids were conducted close to local villages, sparking fear within local communities, and highlighting the negative impact of elephant poaching and the ivory trade not only on elephants, but also on people. This most recent conviction is a tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park rangers, the strong partnership with local communities and authorities, and the growing resolve of the Republic of Congo’s justice system to tackle threats to the country’s wildlife.   Late October, as the full moon glistened over the dense canopy of the Ndoki forest, Beckou and his poaching team set up camp. They had already been hunting for several days, slaying four elephants whilst crossing vast swathes of forest to the south of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.  They were dissatisfied; the tusks were too small to cover the costs of the hunt and to compensate the risks of such a daring operation.  Weary from the long day, they settled down next to the fading campfire embers, and discussed their plans to find a large tusker the following day. A hunting rifle hung from a branch close by, and a second large caliber weapon lay next to the leader, under a tarpaulin. At midnight, undetected, a team of park rangers silently encircled Beckou’s camp. Their poaching exploits had attracted the attention of several Park research camps and a local community - four reports of large caliber gunshots had been registered at the Park headquarters. These alerts sparked a joint operation with the local Congolese Armed Forces and police, and over the course of three days, Beckou’s gang was meticulously pursued by some of the park’s tracking specialists.  This landmark arrest follows several years of law enforcement investment, providing better training, equipment and coordination to men and women on the frontline.  As the rangers brought the poachers in to the park’s headquarters for questioning, dozens of community members rallied behind the convoy singing and chanting, saluting the rangers for not only arresting these poachers, but for also securing their lands and forest.  The four men that Beckou recruited to accompany him into the forest were all first time offenders. Suffering financial and social difficulties, these young men were particularly vulnerable to Beckou’s illicit proposition. As the Substitute Attorney General for the Sangha department declared during his defense ‘poachers like Beckou are emptying the forest of elephants, and enticing young people into perilous situations.’ As the poaching threat escalates in the region, so does the aggressiveness of encounters between poachers and the park’s rangers.  Tonight, ranger teams will sleep out in the forest while carrying out their vital mission to protect their country’s natural heritage, in the knowledge that well-armed poaching gangs are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on ivory. Local communities are also beginning to fear for their safety knowing that these same poachers lurk on the edges of their lands. Leonard Beckou, Levi Bonaventure Lognangue, Bienvenu Nsimbizoina (all from the Democratic Republic of Congo), and Farvin Abegou (Republic of Congo) were all given the highest sentence for wildlife crime in Congo: five years in jail and a fine of 5,000,000 XAF each ($10,000 USD). In an unprecedented ruling the judge also declared that the four convicts would be transferred south to serve their sentences in Brazzaville, far out of sight from the northern poaching networks. All of the other wildlife crime cases brought before the district court the same day were issued the maximum penalty for wildlife crime. A WCS-led study of wildlife crime cases brought before Congo’s courts between 2008 and 2017 found an increase in maximum sentences for wildlife crime being delivered by the courts, which have proliferated in the past few years – showing a shift in the severity in which wildlife crime is now regarded in the Republic of Congo thanks to the efforts of both the Government and NGO partners. This case demonstrates the changing threats that the area's wildlife, and the people working to protect it, are facing. Over the past decade central Africa’s forest elephants have been devastated  by an unprecedented wave of ivory poaching. Poaching gangs have become more organized, better connected and transboundary in nature. Once a rarity in the past, exchanges of gunfire between heavily armed poachers and the park's rangers are becoming frequent. Six have been recorded this year alone. As the pace and proficiency of poaching in the area shows no sign of abating, the importance of ongoing investment in the park's protection is essential. The ranger force must be able to protect themselves from attacks by those who want to exploit the rich biodiversity of the region, and must continue to strengthen ties with the communities that they serve. The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, spanning 4,200 square kilometres of pristine lowland rainforest, is managed by the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a public private partnership between the Congolese Government and WCS Congo Program. Operating under the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, Nouabale-Ndoki’s law enforcement team works to help bring wildlife criminals to justice, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, funding from the UK Government through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and the Elephant Crisis Fund - a joint initiative between Save The Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Fri, 30 Nov 2018 15:35:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25018 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25020/Creation-of-Ogoue-Leketi-National-Park#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25020 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25020&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25020/Creation-of-Ogoue-Leketi-National-Park On the 9th of November 2018 Her Excellency Rosalie Matondo, the Republic of Congo’s Minister of Forestry Economy, the US Ambassador, Todd Haskell, the Mission Director to USAID/DRC, Paul Sabatine, the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Congo program, and local authorities, gathered in Sibiti in the Lekoumou Department to create, by official decree, Congo’s fifth national park - the Ogooué-Leketi National Park. A new protected area has been created in the Republic of Congo - the Ogooué-Leketi National Park (350,000 ha). Bordering the Plateaux Batéké National Park in neighbouring Gabon it forms a transboundary protected area of over half a million hectares. It is part of the most southerly IUCN-designated Exceptional Priority Site for the protection of western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees, and is of considerable ecological significance due to its location in the forest-savannah transition zone. It contains the headwaters of both the Ogooué river (which is the main river of Gabon) and the Leketi river, which feeds the Alima and eventually the Congo river. Since 2004, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Forestry Economy have carried out detailed biological and socio-economic surveys in and around the proposed Ogooué-Leketi National Park (OLNP) to evaluate the conservation potential of this area, and to define the appropriate boundaries and benefits of the new protected area. Following the closure of the three logging concessions that overlapped the proposed protected area, Ogooué-Leketi has officially been declared Congo’s fifth National Park. This new National Park lies in a unique landscape for Congo, dominated by vast rolling savannahs in the east, with green ribbons of gallery forest linking up to a larger rainforest block to the north and west. Within this forest is a constellation of swampy, mineral-rich forest clearings (bais) that offer unique opportunities to view forest wildlife. OLNP is home to a fascinating biodiversity found nowhere else in Congo. At least six of the savannah plant species are very rare and specialists of the Kalahari Sands that form the substrate of the Bateke Plateau. Savannah specialists include Grimm's (or bush) duiker , side-striped jackal, three species of bustard, Congo Moorchat (Traquet-fourmilier du Congo), Brazza’s Martin (Hirondelle de Brazza), and a probable new species of cisticola. These animals and birds, live in the same Park as true forest species - gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffalo, red river hog, several species of forest duiker, and several species of monkey including the mandrill. In 2015, cameras placed in the neighbouring Bateke Plateau National Park in Gabon started to capture images of a young male lion, a species that was thought to have been locally extinct since the 1990s. The communities living near the Ogooué-Leketi National Park have been involved in the process of creating the protected area since the project was launched, through an approach that ensured best practices of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. The local communities and authorities from all villages bordering the Park in the districts of Zanaga and Bambama in the Lekoumou Provinve, and Lekana in the Plateaux Province, have expressed strong support for creating the Park from the outset.  Planning was carried out together with the local communities using participatory social mapping - local communities conducted the mapping themselves. These maps were used to define and agree upon limits of an eco-development area as part of the Park and to agree on management rules for this area. The next steps will include drawing up a management plan that incorporates these local use areas and rules, and finalising conservation zoning that will protect OLNP’s great biodiversity. WCS, with support from USAID’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, led the  biodiversity surveys, facilitated socio-economic surveys and supported  the participatory social mapping process and sustainable natural resource management in the villages bordering the boundaries of the Park.  This will secure a strong basis for the protection of the park’s biodiversity and traditional rights of local communities. USAID’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment supported the creation process of the Ogooue-Leketi National Park. Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:41:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25020 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25022/Silverback-Gorilla-Celebrates-40th-Birthday-in-Congo-Rainforest#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25022 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25022&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25022/Silverback-Gorilla-Celebrates-40th-Birthday-in-Congo-Rainforest Father of 20; "Kingo" is described by researchers as doting father, fierce defender of family. He’s a father of 20 from nine different mothers. He’s a fierce defender of his family and helped nurse two of his offspring back from leopard attacks. He likes to nap with his feet in the air, and he hums while he eats. Meet Kingo, a wild silverback gorilla who is celebrating his 40th birthday. WCS Congo Program researchers wrote a touching tribute to Kingo, whom they have studied for the past 17 years in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park – a 1,500 square-mile (4,238 square-kilometer) protected area WCS co-manages with the Congolese government. It is home not only to gorillas, but also forest elephants, bongo, sitatunga and other spectacular wildlife. WCS’s long-term presence in the park, coupled with its science-based approach, has allowed researchers to gain incredible insights into the life history into the otherwise private lives of gorillas. “Kingo Ya Bole,” which means “The Loud Voice” was chosen to be habituated by researchers interested in learning more about the behavior and ecology of Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Since WCS researchers began following him, they have chronicled his dramatic life story: he’s had 10 mates; only one has remained with him. In the last two years, four females have left him, leaving their weaned infants behind for Kingo to protect. He once abducted the daughter from another group who continues to remain with him. Fourteen of his 20 offspring have died; most were under the age of three. WCS researchers report his most recent offspring born earlier this year, may have been taken by a predator. Unfortunately, the chances for young gorillas surviving in the wild to adulthood are often low, as gorillas face many threats to survival including leopard attacks and disease as well as poaching. Only one of Kingo’s daughters has so far survived to emigrate to a new group. The rest of his remaining offspring are still with him.  Through it all, Kingo has remained a calm silverback. Researchers say he likes to sit and caress his right hand with his left thumb while looking into the distance. He is a caring father; he often stops the older ones when they play too roughly with the infants. And he follows his females reluctantly into the swamps and washes the plants before feeding on them, with the young ones imitating him. Said Ivonne Kienast, WCS Site and Research Manager of the Mondika Gorilla Project: “Kingo can be seen just as a wild animal, a great ape, a species fighting extinction, one amongst thousands. But to the researchers and trackers who spend their years with him, Kingo is family. We laugh when they play, we cry over their deaths, we hold our breath when one is injured, and we fight to protect them.” WCS’s researchers are not the only ones lucky enough to enjoy Kingo and his family; the habituation initiative has successfully brought world class gorilla tourism to the Park, and to Congo as a whole. It is this specific knowledge about individuals and their relationships to others is what makes the gorilla viewing experience in Nouabale Ndoki so special and make you feel like you are sitting with family. Operating under the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, Nouabale-Ndoki’s research and monitoring unit works to build understanding of the landscape’s rich wildlife, in support of more effective protection and management. This work is made possible with major support from the U.S Agency for International Development’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Foundation for the Sangha Trinational Trust Fund. Thu, 14 Jun 2018 15:46:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25022 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25028/Successful-Anti-poaching-Operation-Leads-to-5-Year-Conviction-for-Three-Poachers-in-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25028 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25028&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25028/Successful-Anti-poaching-Operation-Leads-to-5-Year-Conviction-for-Three-Poachers-in-Republic-of-Congo Three poachers responsible for slaughtering eleven elephants in and around Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in January were convicted to five years’ imprisonment by the local district court last week, according to WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society). The poachers, who had ventured deep into the remote Ndoki forest and spent three weeks killing elephants for their ivory, walked into an ambush setup by park rangers as they exited the forest on February 2nd. Three of the six poachers were apprehended. Jonathan Kweme (alias Bony), Bolia Ezengue (alias Bolin), and Gloire Ekumu Mozuba (alias Eden Hazard), all from the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently living in Pokola, were tried and convicted up front at their court appearance on February 15th. The evidence, nearly 70 kilograms of ivory and an AK-47, were presented to the court and the judge’s decision swiftly followed, giving all three individuals the highest sentence for wildlife crime in Congo: five years in jail and a fine of 5,500,000 XAF each ($10,000 USD). The head of the poaching group is still at large, along with the two other members of the gang. He is another notorious ivory trafficker responsible for transferring many hauls of ivory from the Republic of Congo to his home city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the three poachers convicted was recruited by the head of the gang when they met in Kinshasa in early 2017. Investigations to locate the gang leader and bring him to justice are ongoing. “We commend the parks rangers of Nouabale-Ndoki in their continuing efforts to protect elephants in one of the last remaining strongholds of the species,” said Mark Gately, Director of WCS’s Republic of Congo Program. “The convictions of three notorious poachers sends a message that such activities will not be tolerated in one of Congo’s flagship protected areas.” This latest poaching incident started on January 13th when a group of six poachers set out from the town of Pokola in search of ivory in the park’s southern periphery. They worked quickly and efficiently once an elephant had been killed, moving away from the area as quickly as possible to avoid detection.  After hacking free the tusks from the slain carcasses, the ivory was sawn into smaller more convenient chunks to ease transport. The poachers were indiscriminate in their choice of elephants to be shot – only two giant tuskers amidst a sorry clutch of ivory that belonged to females and young. The only part of the carcasses used, apart from the ivory, was trunk meat to nourish the poachers while in the forest. The presence of the poaching gang was first detected by researchers at the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project working in the south of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Reports of gunfire on January 25th were immediately reported by the Park’s protection team. Four ranger teams were strategically deployed to block and intercept the poachers exit. A week later on February 2nd after night fall, the six-strong poaching gang stumbled into one of the ranger units waiting in ambush near a known point of access to the park. An intense encounter ensued when the rangers commanded the poachers to stop and drop their weapons. The poachers ignored the demand and opened fire, resulting in shots being exchanged between the two groups. As two more ranger units arrived in support, the poachers fled, dropping three baskets containing equipment, medicines, smoked elephant trunk, and seventy kilograms of ivory amounting to 16 tusks in total.  Exchange of gunfire between the park’s anti-poaching force and poachers has become more frequent, a possible result of strengthened law-enforcement efforts and increased penalties faced by those caught. Their evasion was short-lived. Three days later on February 5th, the Park’s law enforcement agents and local police arrested three members of the poaching gang in the nearby logging town of Pokola. The arrested individuals later admitted to fleeing through the night, caching their weapon in the forest near to Pokola, before attempting to disappear. Several strong intelligence leads had given their position away to the authorities. For these individuals, this is their first conviction, but not their first poaching mission. All three admitted to their involvement in numerous illegal incursions into the NNNP, collectively removing nearly 400 kilograms of ivory from the forest in the last four years. They have links to some of northern Congo’s most notorious elephant poachers and ivory traffickers, including Samuel Pembele, who was convicted of poaching in the same area in October 2016. (https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-win-in-the-ground-war-against-elephant-poachers-in-africa). The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, spanning 4,200 square kilometres of pristine lowland rainforest, is managed by the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a public private partnership between the Congolese Government and WCS Congo Program. Operating under the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, Nouabale-Ndoki’s law enforcement team works to help bring wildlife criminals to justice, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Elephant Crisis Fund - an initiative launched by the Wildlife Conservation Fund and Save The Elephants. Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:04:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25028 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25030/Elusive-Congolese-Poacher-Sentenced-to-Five-Years-in-Jail#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25030 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25030&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25030/Elusive-Congolese-Poacher-Sentenced-to-Five-Years-in-Jail A local court sentenced a notorious elephant poacher and ivory trafficker to five years in prison and a fine of 1,200,000 XAF (~2100 US$). The sentencing, which took place yesterday, is an indication that Congolese government is becoming increasingly serious about dealing with criminals that threaten the country’s natural heritage Over the last 12 years, Benjamin Mbondo, known locally as “Benz,” had garnered an infamous reputation for slaughtering elephants and trafficking illegal ivory. He was arrested on August 27th, 2017 – two weeks after a warrant for his arrest had been issued to the local police force by the Ouesso Court. Certain tip-offs alluding to his whereabouts in Ouesso allowed law enforcement from nearby Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park together with the local police force to finally locate and arrest him. The warrant for Mbondo’s arrest was based on evidence collection and field investigations led by the Nouabale-Ndoki’s law enforcement team who documented his involvement in a recent poaching event. During questioning Mbondo confessed to his involvement in multiple poaching expeditions targeting the periphery of Nouabalé-Ndoki - the most recent of which had resulted in the death of two elephants and the taking of 75 kilograms of ivory. Additional information gained during questioning and subsequent investigations have led to the identification of 17 individuals within his trafficking gang and base – information that can be used to eventually dismantle his entire network. Mbondo not only took part in hunting but also began to organize and contract hunting teams, supplying them with arms and ammunition. As he brokered deals with top-level buyers, the name Benz quickly became synonymous with illicit wildlife trade in the urban centers of northern Congo. Said Mark Gately, Director of WCS’s Congo Program: “Since 2007, Mbondo has been on the radar of investigators and wildlife law enforcement teams in northern Congo, but somehow continued to dodge arrest. Ten years on, his arrest is testament to improvements to wildlife law enforcement activities in the Nouabalé-Ndoki landscape, in combination with the growing will of the Congolese Government to ensure that justice is served for individuals who break national wildlife laws.” The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, spanning 4,200 square kilometres of pristine lowland rainforest, is managed by the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a public private partnership between the Congolese Government and WCS Congo Program. Operating under the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, Nouabale-Ndoki’s law enforcement team works to help bring wildlife criminals to justice, with support from the U.S Agency for International Development’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Save the Elephants and Wildlife Conservation Network’s Elephant Crisis Fund. Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:08:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25030 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25036/Major-Ivory-Trafficker-Jailed-in-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25036 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25036&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25036/Major-Ivory-Trafficker-Jailed-in-Republic-of-Congo Northern Congo’s notorious elephant poacher and ivory trafficker Daring Dissaka, 39, has been convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment. Connected to international ivory networks, Dissaka’s imprisonment represents another significant step forward for the Republic of Congo’s justice system and forest elephant conservation in Central Africa. A group of investigators and legal experts, who make up the Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) employed by the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park to follow up wildlife crime cases, have been tracking Dissaka’s whereabouts closely since September 2016. After a string of successful operations, the ‘Daring’ network was finally identified and infiltrated. Later in January 2017, a WCU-informed police raid seized 70 kg of ivory in the northern logging town of Pokola. One member of the Daring network was arrested at the scene, who promptly cited Dissaka as the owner of the ivory. With evidence stacking against Dissaka, the State Prosecutor for the District of Sangha issued a warrant for his arrest, and the manhunt began. Clearly aware of his precarious position, Dissaka maintained a low profile. In early May, WCU investigators finally located Dissaka’s hideout in the District Capital of Ouesso, and coordinated his arrest with the local police and the Ministry of Forestry Economy and Sustainable Development (MEFDD) on the 17th of May 2017.  Swiftly, two days later, Daring Dissaka was tried and convicted with the maximum sentence possible for wildlife crime (5 years) and a major fine (USD $5,000). However, this is not Dissaka’s first jail sentence. As early as 2005, Dissaka started hunting elephants for ivory in Northern Congo, and has since built links to major international ivory dealers.  In 2011, a PALF (Projet d'appui à l'Application de la Loi sur la Faune) investigation led to the conviction of a Chadian ivory trafficker arrested by rangers working on the periphery of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park - a buyer of Dissaka’s ivory. Subsequent investigations led to Dissaka’s arrest in 2011 and then later in 2013. Both times, he served incomplete jail sentences, and upon release his return to old habits was almost immediate. Launched in February 2016, the Wildlife Crime Unit operates within the periphery of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park supporting the Park’s ranger team in researching illegal activities. The WCU’s legal follow-up branch consists of dedicated Congolese lawyers who follow up on wildlife crime cases at the courts and prisons in northern Congo’s two large district capitals, Ouesso and Impfondo. Since its conception, WCU investigations have directly led to 17 major convictions, 9 of which are for the longest serving sentence for wildlife crime in the Republic of Congo (5 years). “This strong result shows that the park’s integrated approach of on-the-ground patrols, coupled with intelligence-driven operations carried out together with conservation authorities in the park’s periphery, are effectively taking down the patrons of elephant poaching and dismantling the criminal syndicates involved in the lucrative ivory trade.” said Eric Arnhem, WCS Director of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Currently, the WCU are working with the Congolese authorities hoping to transfer Dissaka to a prison further south. With his strong connections in the north, his chances of evasion, or continued involvement in poaching and trafficking activities (even from the confines of prison) are much higher. Through a strategic prison transfer, ongoing monitoring, and providing follow-up visits and prisoner council, it is hoped the path to recidivism for Dissaka is blocked once and for all. The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, spanning 4,200 square kilometres of pristine lowland rainforest, is managed by the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, a public private partnership between the Congolese Government and The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Congo Program. Operating under the Nouabale-Ndoki Foundation, the Wildlife Crime Unit works to bring wildlife criminals to justice in the urban centers of northern Congo with support from the Elephant Crisis Fund, The Wildcat Foundation, USAID, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25036 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25038/New-Strategy-Dismantles-Ivory-Trafficking-Networks-in-Northern-Republic-of-Congo#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25038 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25038&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25038/New-Strategy-Dismantles-Ivory-Trafficking-Networks-in-Northern-Republic-of-Congo An integrated approach with on-the-ground patrols coupled with intelligence-driven operations are effectively taking down the patrons of elephant poaching and dismantling the criminal syndicates. This summer, wildlife rangers from the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, a protected area managed by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), arrested more than 30 poachers; seized over 100 kilograms of ivory; and detained six semi-automatic weapons around the limits of the park. This includes the arrest and conviction of an ivory trafficker tied to one the most notorious poaching rings in northern Congo. Samuel Pembele has been sentenced to five years in jail by Ouesso’s criminal court, the maximum penalty under Congolese law. Pembele of the 2Pac trafficking network has been operating in the area for several years, commissioning elephant hunts and moving and selling large quantities of ivory. Mark Gately, the WCS Congo Country Director said: “The Wildlife Conservation Society’s newly established Wildlife Crime Unit offers unprecedented access to the higher-level players in the Congo’s northern poaching circles. Effective application of Congo’s wildlife laws relies on a watertight law enforcement chain – from the forest patrols to the court trials.  Evidence must be well documented, cases put forward with coherence and justice served. The conviction of Pembele was pivotal in the fight to shut down the poachers. “With increased coverage, staff power, and the use of real-time communications technology, wildlife rangers are bringing the fight to poachers.” The Wildlife Crime Unit is starting to play an important role in following up cases, publicizing the events in the local media, closely monitoring court proceedings, and stamping out the ever-present risk of corruption. During the summer, on the 25th of July, a ranger team on a routine forest patrol startled a group of four poachers on the Ndoki River, a notorious poaching corridor that leads to the park. The incident was immediately communicated to the park’s Control Center and the Rapid Reaction Unit, a specialist force of elite rangers, was deployed to contain the fleeing poachers. Three days later, the unit stopped a suspect, Pemeble, crossing the containment zone and he was transferred to WCS’s Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU). Coincidentally, Pembele had been subject to an ongoing undercover investigation, which had him tied to a chief poaching ring operating in northern Congo recently implicated in a major ivory deal. This intelligence was used to leverage several critical admissions, including the denouncement of a fellow ringleader, leading to both their arrest. Pembele was convicted on 10th November 2016, and sentenced to five years in prison. Gately said: “The conviction of Pembele signals a significant change for elephant conservation in Congo. A strong message has been sent to all poaching networks across the Ndoki landscape that wildlife criminals cannot go on breaking the law with impunity, a positive shift in ensuring the future of elephants in Ndoki is secured. This kind of collaboration between the newly created WCU, a team of investigators and legal experts fighting wildlife crime in the urban areas in northern Congo, and the Park’s ranger force are increasingly bringing about high impact arrests.” This arrest and conviction underlines several key advances in the park’s anti-poaching efforts over the past two years. Ranger numbers for the park have quadrupled since 2014 and have undergone several rounds of paramilitary training. Technological advances are becoming pivotal too with the deployment of new real-time satellite tracking devices that have revolutionized patrol operations. Ivory poaching and trafficking in northern Congo is controlled and financed by a select group, locally referred to as ‘patrons,’ who lurk in logging towns, discreetly provide poachers with weapons and commission elephant hunts. Taking a ‘patron’ like Pembele out of the system has a far-reaching reductive effect on poaching pressure. Patrols in Ndoki are becoming more and more intelligence driven, targeting known access points and poaching grounds. The additional intelligence that the WCU brings to the table further targets patrols and offers the opportunity to act preventatively as well as reactively. Pembele was not travelling along the logging road passing through the checking zone by chance; follow-up questioning revealed that he was returning from a mission to look for an elephant gun, in a logging town north of the Park. Where remoteness has long provided a blanket of protection for the Republic of Congo’s Ndoki forest, today’s rapid encroachment of logging roads outside the park limits, alongside a fast growing population and a ten-fold rise in the local price for ivory, has brought unprecedented levels of illegal hunting. Ivory trafficking networks continue to flourish in Congo and across the border to Central African Republic and Cameroon. These networks are exploiting new communication and transport links that arrive with logging. Almost one quarter of the worlds remaining forest elephants reside here in northern Congo. Having suffered a serious decline of more than 60 percent across Central Africa over the past decade, protecting these elephants and their forests is of global importance. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s protection work in northern Congo is supported by US Fish and Wildlife Service, USAID CARPE, European Union, The Wildcat Foundation, Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the Save the Elephants / Wildlife Conservation Network Elephant Crisis Fund, the Sangha Tri-National Foundation, and with funding through United for Wildlife Partnership. Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:26:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25038 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25040/CITES-CoP17-WCS-Congratulates-CITES-Parties-for-Extending-Protections-to-the-African-Grey-Parrot#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25040 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25040&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25040/CITES-CoP17-WCS-Congratulates-CITES-Parties-for-Extending-Protections-to-the-African-Grey-Parrot   African Grey Parrot Is Placed on CITES Appendix I “If this bird could talk – and it certainly can – the African grey parrot would say thank you..” Sue Lieberman, WCS VP of International Policy VIDEO: WCS Susan Lieberman intervening on behalf of the African grey parrot at CITES CoP17 Oct. 2, 2016: https://vimeo.com/185196804/settings CITES African Grey Parrot proposal WCS position on African greys (pg. 14) The following statement was released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society concerning the adoption of the proposal by countries gathered at CITES Cop17 to extend greater protection to the African grey parrot. Said Susan Lieberman, WCS VP of International Policy and head of the WCS delegation at CITES: “We congratulate the Parties to CITES for agreeing to transfer the African grey parrot from Appendix II to Appendix I, thereby prohibiting all international commercial trade. We applaud the range States of Angola, Chad, , Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo for sponsoring this proposal, along with the United States and the European Union and its Member States. “Inclusion in Appendix I is in the best interests of the conservation of the species as it faces both habitat loss and rampant illegal and unsustainable trade for the international pet trade. “If this bird could talk – and it certainly can – the African grey parrot would say thank you. Now with the protection of Appendix I, and the enhanced enforcement that is needed,   the voice of the African grey parrot will not be silenced across the great forests of Africa. “The African grey parrot has experienced significant population declines throughout its range in West, Central and East Africa. It is extremely rare or locally extinct in Benin, Burundi, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo. This once very abundant species of the forests of West, Central, and East Africa is unfortunately now threatened by out of control international trade. Sun, 02 Oct 2016 16:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25040 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25046/New-Book-on-How-to-Save-Forest-Elephants-Published-as-Extinction-Crisis-Deepens#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25046 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25046&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25046/New-Book-on-How-to-Save-Forest-Elephants-Published-as-Extinction-Crisis-Deepens New Book on How to Save Forest Elephants Published as Extinction Crisis Deepens First comprehensive work on how to study the biology, behavior, and ecology of Africa’s lesser known elephant Authors hope new book will promote more research and conservation for forest elephants across Central Africa Link to Purchase Book (text on the purchase page is in German--the book is written in English): http://www.reaev.de/shop/schreibtisch-buecher-bilder--multimedia/buecher/elefanten-buecher/studying-forest-elephants.php A newly published book focused on promoting research and conservation methods and strategies for the African forest elephant arrives at a crucial time for this species, which is being decimated by poaching, habitat loss, and other threats, according to authors from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)  and other organizations. The new book—titled “Studying Forest Elephants”—provides scientists, wildlife managers, park rangers, and government officials with a “How To” manual for initiating studies on the needs of forest elephants and detecting threats to their existence. “Since 2002, more than 65 percent of the world’s forest elephants have been wiped out, almost exclusively by poaching,” said Dr. Thomas Breuer, WCS scientist and co-editor. “We implore all scientists interested in saving this animal to build on the lessons presented here to ensure a future for these magnificent rainforest giants.” “Forest elephants are key architects of the ecosystems they inhabit, and we still have much to learn about them at a time when they are disappearing,” said Vicki Fishlock, editor and resident scientist for the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. ”The best observation conditions for studying elephants are at forest clearings, or bais, where elephants maintain their social relationships and obtain minerals. Unfortunately, this is also where they are most vulnerable to poachers.” The book is written by the leading experts in several disciplines, and begins with a history of bai research in the region, reviews our current knowledge about forest elephants and identifies important areas for further study. Subsequent chapters provide guidance on how to identify study sites and establish the necessary infrastructure, and then expand into detailed areas of study including census methods, behavior, genetics and acoustic monitoring. Protecting forest elephants requires cooperation between all agencies. The book covers assessment of wildlife and human activity, advice on organizing protection activities and a monitoring framework for assessing threats to populations. It also provides guidance on how to disseminate information to guide conservation actions. “We want to guide conservation scientists how to understand the needs of forest elephants, without compromising elephant safety. Careful, noninvasive studies can provide the information to improve elephant protection in a rapidly changing world,” said WCS Conservation Scientist Dr. Fiona Maisels, one of the book’s authors. Subsidised copies of the book will be available to conservation professionals in range states, and can be obtained by contacting the editors. The authors of “Studying Forest Elephants” are: Vicki Fishlock of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants (vfishlock@elephanttrust.org); Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society (tbreuer@wcs.org); Steve Blake of Washington University in St. Louis, USA ; Nicolas Bout of Aweley, Wildlife and People; Lori Eggert of the University of Missouri, USA; Bernard Fouda of World Wildlife Fund; Kelly Greenway of the University of Kent, UK; Clement Inkamba-Nkulu of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Fiona Maisels of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Stirling, UK; Franck Barrel Mavinga of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Julia Metsio Sienne (Carl von Ossietzky University, Germany); Ludovic Momont (Natural History Museum, Paris, France); Brice Mowawa of the Congolese Ministère de L’Économie Forestière et du Développement Durable; Stephanie Schuttler of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, USA; Andrea Turkalo of the Wildlife Conservation Society; George Wittemyer of Colorado State University, USA; and Peter H. Wrege of Cornell University, USA. The book was the product of a workshop funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The book’s publication was supported by Rettet die Elefanten Afrikas e.V., Neuer Sportverlag, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and msk media Werbeagentur. Tue, 19 Jan 2016 16:48:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25046 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25054/Republic-of-Congo-Becomes-11th-Nation-to-Join-Elephant-Protection-Initiative#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25054 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25054&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25054/Republic-of-Congo-Becomes-11th-Nation-to-Join-Elephant-Protection-Initiative The Republic of the Congo has confirmed that it will join the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), the  African-led conservation programme to eradicate the ivory trade and stop the continued slaughter of the continent’s elephants by poachers. The commitment was announced by the Congo delegation at the 66th Standing Committee meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Geneva yesterday. Roger Mbete, Congo's Director of Wildlife & Protected Areas, said, "Congo is a stronghold for one of the most important populations of forest elephants, and is working hard to ensure their protection through a number of initiatives. These include the creation of new protected areas, improved wildlife protection in production landscapes, such as forestry concessions, and the development of a national anti-poaching strategy. In this way we hope to be able to safeguard elephants, their forest habitat, and the livelihoods of the people who depend on those forests.” The EPI was launched by leaders from Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon and Tanzania during the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014, with the support of the British Government and the UK-registered charity Stop Ivory. Uganda, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi and the Gambia have since also joined. According to the most recent census carried out by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), forest elephants in the Central African region lost 65 percent of its elephants between 2002 and 2012. Forest elephants in this part of Africa are being slaughtered for their ivory at a rate of 9 percent a year. Mark Gately, Director of WCS’s Congo Programme, said, “Congo has shown real leadership in the field of conservation for many years, protecting its elephants and other wildlife under innovative management models in Nouabale-Ndoki and Odzala-Koukoua National Parks.  By joining the Elephant Protection Initiative, the country has underlined its commitment to take concerted action to protect its elephants, and WCS is honoured to work alongside the government to support these efforts.’ The Republic of the Congo – which harbours a quarter of Africa’s remaining forest elephants - demonstrated its opposition to the ivory trade and its support for elephant conservation last year when, on the eve of a summit to draw up the first pan-African strategy on wildlife poaching, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso set fire to 4.7 tonnes of ivory. The move was heralded by international and local media, as well as conservationists worldwide, as an act of significant symbolism in the flight to end the illegal ivory trade. Alexander Rhodes, CEO of Stop Ivory, said, “This declaration by the Republic of Congo during the meeting of the CITES Standing Committee is hugely significant.  It follows the destruction by President N'Guesso of the country's ivory stockpile last year and supports the development of its National Elephant Action Plan to secure a future for elephants and communities free from the threat from ivory poaching." "This declaration adds Congo's powerful voice to the growing consensus that ivory is more valuable on living elephants than as trinkets for markets in foreign lands.  Stop Ivory commends the government for its leadership ahead of the CITES Conference in September this year, where the question before the global community will be how best to secure a future for elephants, when the U.S., China and countries from all regions of Africa have agreed to stop all ivory trade."  This latest commitment comes less than a month after Liberia became the tenth member of the EPI, with President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf referring to the occasion as momentous, not just for Liberia, but for conservation everywhere. Sir David Richmond, CEO, The Brazzaville Foundation for Peace and Conservation said,  "The Brazzaville Foundation for Peace and Conservation warmly welcomes the announcement by the Republic of Congo that it is joining the Elephant Protection Initiative, and is supporting efforts to end the trade in ivory. As long as the ivory trade continues, the future of the African elephant is in peril. The Brazzaville Foundation urges all governments to back the Elephant Protection Initiative." The illegal killing of elephants and the trade in their ivory across Africa is undermining ecosystem integrity, economic development and the rule of law. In just three years 100,000 elephants were illegally killed to supply ivory to consumer markets. Proceeds from this illegal trade are being used to support criminal activity, and have been reported to fund armed conflict and terrorism. Frontline conservationists are being injured and killed in the hundreds.  At current rates the species faces extinction in the wild within our lifetimes. Notes to Editors: The Elephant Protection Initiative In February 2014, leaders from all four regions of Africa: Botswana, Chad, Gabon, Ethiopia and Tanzania: galvanised a crisis response to implement the African Elephant Action Plan through the creation of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI). The EPI is the Heads-of-State initiative which is African-led, Partnership based and Results oriented. The EPI calls for elephant range states, partner states, Non-Governmental Organisations, International Government Organisations, private citizens and the private sector to work together to: Maintain the international ban established by CITES in 1989 for a minimum of  10 years and thereafter until African elephant populations are no longer threatened. Close domestic markets where they are still operating. Put ivory stockpiles beyond economic use. Provide both immediate and longer-term funding to address the Elephant Crisis through full and timely implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan through both public and private sector support. Stop Ivory Stop Ivory serves as the secretariat to the EPI.  It is an NGO aimed at protecting elephants and stopping the trade in ivory by providing technical and financial support to countries to implement the African Elephant Action Plan under the EPI framework. Stop Ivory works with governments and a wide range of NGO, IGO and private sector partners to deliver these aims. For more information visit www.stopivory.org and elephantprotectioninitiative.org  and follow us on Twitter @stopivory. Wed, 13 Jan 2016 07:28:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25054 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25058/Critically-Endangered-Monkey-Photographed-In-Congos-Newest-National-Park-Ntokou-Pikounda#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25058 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25058&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25058/Critically-Endangered-Monkey-Photographed-In-Congos-Newest-National-Park-Ntokou-Pikounda Two primatologists working in the forests of the Republic of Congo have returned from the field with a noteworthy prize: the first-ever photograph of the Bouvier’s red colobus monkey, a rare primate not seen for more than half a century and suspected to be extinct by some, according to WCS (the Wildlife Conservation Society). The elusive primate was recently photographed by independent researchers Lieven Devreese and Gaël Elie Gnondo Gobolo within Ntokou-Pikounda National Park, a 4,572-square-kilometer (1,765-square-mile) protected area created on advice from WCS in 2013 to safeguard gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and other species. The field researchers set off in February 2015 to try to photograph Bouvier’s red colobus and establish the present distribution of this unique primate species in the Republic of Congo. Guided by local people familiar with red colobus vocalizations and behavior, the team found a group of red colobus in the swamp forests along the Bokiba River in the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park.   “Our photos are the world’s first and confirm that the species is not extinct,” Devreese said. WCS helped in the search for Bouvier’s red colobus with logistical support and provided the unpublished survey records of red colobus monkeys in Northern Congo. “We’re very pleased indeed that Lieven and Gaël were able to achieve their objective of not only confirming that Bouvier’s red colobus still exists, but also managing to get a very clear close-up picture of a mother and infant,” said WCS’s Dr. Fiona Maisels. “Thankfully, many of these colobus monkeys live in the recently gazetted national park and are protected from threats such as logging, agriculture, and roads, all of which can lead to increased hunting.” Bouvier’s red colobus (Piliocolobus bouvieri) is a species of monkey endemic to the Republic of Congo, about which virtually nothing is known. It has been considered a subspecies of a larger colobus taxonomic group in the past, but the most recent treatment lists it as a full species.  The species was first described in 1887 and is only known from a couple of museum specimens collected from three localities over 100 years ago. The authors of a book written in 1949 mention that the species occurs in the swamp forests between the lower Likouala and Sangha Rivers, as well as along the Alima River farther to the south. The last unverified sightings of Bouvier’s red colobus monkey occurred in the 1970s. Recent surveys by WCS had previously recorded red colobus in what is now Ntokou-Pikounda National Park in 2007 and 2014, but they were very rarely encountered and no photograph had been taken. The new sighting and photograph confirm the presence of this threatened primate in Northern Congo. However, red colobus monkeys (there are several species)  typically do not flee from humans but look down at them from the trees, an unfortunate behavioral characteristic that has led to them becoming very rare wherever hunters are active. They are highly threatened by the growing demand for bushmeat in the region, a trade that also threatens larger primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees. James Deutsch, Vice President for Conservation Strategy at WCS, commented: “Confirmation that Bouvier’s red colobus still thrives in the this area reminds us that there remain substantially intact wild places on Earth, and should re-energize all of us to save them before it is too late.” Thu, 16 Apr 2015 07:39:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25058 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25060/Declining-Great-Apes-of-Central-Africa-Get-New-Action-Plan-for-Conservation-for-the-Next-Decade#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25060 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25060&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25060/Declining-Great-Apes-of-Central-Africa-Get-New-Action-Plan-for-Conservation-for-the-Next-Decade National parks and reserves in six range countries protect only 21 percent of western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees Hunting, habitat loss, and disease are the biggest threats to African great apes Conservationists identify 18 priority landscapes for continued survival of great apes in the region Action plan calls for improved law enforcement, more effective management of great ape habitat outside of protected areas, better national land-use planning, and conservation advocacy for wildlife and law enforcement to effect behavior change The number of gorillas and chimpanzees in Central Africa continues to decline due to hunting, habitat loss, and disease, combined with a widespread lack of law enforcement and corruption in the judicial process, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, and partners in a new conservation plan. A new report—titled “Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Western Lowland Gorillas and Central Chimpanzees 2015-2025”—outlines the growing number of threats to these great apes across six range countries, including the finding that nearly 80 percent of great apes in the region occur outside of protected areas. While national and international laws protect the Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla and the Endangered central chimpanzee, both subspecies continue to be threatened by hunters and traders seeking to supply the illegal commercial market and demand for bushmeat, particularly in urban areas. Habitat loss driven by the region’s growing human population and the expansion of extractive industries and industrial agriculture is another danger to great apes. And between the 1990s and 2005, Ebola outbreaks in northeastern Gabon and western Congo are thought to have killed thousands of gorillas and chimpanzees. “The rainforests of Western Equatorial Africa contain most of the world’s gorillas and about one-third of all chimpanzees, and gorillas in particular are being severely and negatively impacted by human activities across their range,” said Dr. Fiona Maisels, WCS Conservation Biologist and a contributor to the plan. “This action plan represents a multi-dimensional conservation strategy to address the myriad of threats to our closest relatives.” Many of the actions proposed in the previous action plan published in 2005 were successfully implemented and have helped to slow the declines in the ape populations. However, the growing human population in the region coupled with the expansion of extractive industries and industrial agriculture are putting increasing pressure on the remaining great apes – so additional conservation measures are urgently required. Building on the previous action plan, the new strategy is the product of a regional workshop attended by 70 conservationists, scientists, wildlife health experts, donors, and wildlife authorities and protected area managers from Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo. Survey data collected between 2003 and 2013 were used to produce great ape population density maps across the entire range of both western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees to re-assess conservation priorities. “Central African governments have demonstrated increased willingness to protect the dwindling populations of gorillas and chimpanzees," said David Greer, WWF’s Great Apes Programme Manager. “Now bold steps are needed to ensure that existing wildlife laws are upheld and that weak governance, which results in widespread impunity for wildlife traffickers, is eliminated, to give great apes the opportunity to survive and thrive.” In the new plan, 18 landscapes are identified as critical for the continued survival of western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees. These landscapes cover half the geographic range of these two subspecies, yet they harbor more than three quarters of the great apes remaining in the region. Actions needed to protect the remaining gorilla and chimpanzee populations, and evaluate conservation success, include: More effective management and protection of large areas outside of formally protected areas; Increased law enforcement combined with improved legal frameworks and stiffer sanctions for poachers; Coordination across all sectors on land use and protection of natural resources with a priority on conserving great ape populations; Conservation advocacy for wildlife and law enforcement to effect behavior change; An enhanced understanding of diseases such as Ebola to guide conservation actions; Monitoring of great ape abundance and distribution, habitat loss, and illegal activities. “The action plan will serve as a guide for range-state governments and their conservation partners in how best to protect the region’s natural heritage,” said Dr. Liz Williamson, Vice Chair of the Great Ape Section of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. “Decisions made today can ensure a brighter future for gorillas and chimpanzees, and the human communities that rely on biodiversity for their well-being.” To access the document in English, click here: http://www.primate-sg.org/storage/pdf/WEA_apes_plan_2014_7MB.pdf For the same document in French, click here: http://www.primate-sg.org/storage/pdf/WEA_Plan_grands_singes_4MB.pdf The process of developing this conservation strategy was funded by the Arcus Foundation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Great Apes Survival Partnership. The following organisations contributed to development of the action plan: African Parks, African Wildlife Foundation, Agence Congolaise de la Faune et des Aires Protégées, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Arcus Foundation, Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation, Conservation International, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, European Union, Fondation Camerounaise de la Terre Vivante, Goualougo Triangle Ape Project, Great Apes Survival Partnership, Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Manejo del Sistema de Áreas Protegidas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Jane Goodall Institute, Living Earth Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Mayombe Transboundary Initiative, Ministère de l’Economie Forestière, de l’Environnement et du Tourisme, Ministère de la Forêt, de l’Environnement et de la Protection des Ressources Naturelles, Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune, Ministério do Ambiente, Projet d’Appui à l’Application de la Loi sur la Faune Sauvage, Projet Ecofaune, Projet Grands Singes, Réseau des Aires Protégées d’Afrique Centrale, United Nations Development Programme, United States Agency for International Development/Central African Regional Program for the Environment, United States Fish & Wildlife Service, University of Barcelona, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, Zoological Society of London.   Tue, 07 Apr 2015 07:44:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25060 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25062/Conservationists-Release-Manual-on-Protecting-Great-Apes-in-Forest-Concessions#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25062 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25062&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25062/Conservationists-Release-Manual-on-Protecting-Great-Apes-in-Forest-Concessions A new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) highlights the plight of great apes in the forest concessions of Central Africa and recommends actions to improve protection for gorillas and chimpanzees in these mixed-used landscapes, according to authors from the Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, IUCN, Lincoln Park Zoo and Washington University. While most conservation efforts are focused on protecting great apes and other species in Central Africa’s protected areas, a significant area of the region’s rainforest used by gorillas and chimpanzees lies outside of these protected areas in lands designated for some form of extractive use. Extractive activities such as logging and mining and the accompanying road construction and poaching represent significant threats to great apes in the region. The report—titled Great Apes and FSC: Implementing ‘Ape Friendly’ Practices in Central Africa’s Logging Concessions—is now available through the IUCN website. The authors include: David Morgan of Lincoln Park Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society; Crickette Sanz of Washington University in Saint Louis and Lincoln Park Zoo; David Greer of the World Wide Fund for Nature; Tim Rayden and Fiona Maisels of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Elizabeth Williamson of the Great Ape section of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group. “Many of the forests of Central Africa remain outside existing protected areas,” said David Morgan, the lead author of the study. “The survival of gorillas and chimpanzees in these unprotected landscapes depends on balancing the activities of logging and other forms of development with conservation.” The new report provides logging companies working in Central Africa with a framework for collaboration between forestry and conservation practitioners to establish “ape friendly” practices in forest concessions and mixed-used landscapes. In particular, the report recommends improvements to principles of the Forest Stewardship Council certification system relating to environmental values and impacts, management, monitoring, and protection of high conservation value areas (HCVs). The document serves as a guide for engaging logging companies and their concessions as key partners in the conservation of great apes. Among the recommendations provided by the authors are: minimize the risk of ape-human disease transmission through educational campaigns and the implementation of forest concession worker health programs and protocols; strengthen law enforcement within forest concessions; designate strictly controlled hunting zones for non-protected species (not including great apes); recommend additional measures to protect tree species important to great apes and other wildlife in forests identified as high conservation value areas; and ensure long-term monitoring of great apes in forest concessions. “It is critical that logging companies work with wildlife scientists and protected area managers to ensure that great apes are protected and their abundance and distribution monitored throughout timber concessions as well as in the parks and reserves,” said WCS conservation scientist Fiona Maisels. “By incorporating effective stewardship measures into logging practices, we can ensure a future for gorillas and chimpanzees in the forests of Central Africa.” WCS appreciates the support of the many partners who made this work possible. Tue, 21 May 2013 07:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25062 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25064/New-World-Heritage-Site-in-Wild-Heart-of-Central-Africa#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25064 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25064&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25064/New-World-Heritage-Site-in-Wild-Heart-of-Central-Africa Wildlife rarely respect international borders, particularly when those boundaries cut right through their forest homes. So a new World Heritage Site that spans a swath of three nations in Central Africa will give gorillas, elephants, and chimps a veritable pass as they roam along the Sangha River, between the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. The diverse ecosystems of this region will be preserved within the Sangha Tri-National Protected Area (TNS), now a World Heritage Site. The creation of TNS marks the first time the World Heritage Committee has given its namesake status to a site spanning three nations. The park includes a range of habitats, from tropical forests to wetlands to bais—natural forest clearings that are important mingling grounds for wildlife. With mineralized soils, distinctive herbs, and one of the lowest human footprints in equatorial Africa, TNS promises ongoing refuge for large numbers of animals. No place else in the world attracts groups containing more than 100 forest elephants. In TNS, these mammoth herbivores often congregate alongside other large mammals: bongo, sitatunga, forest buffalo, and giant forest hogs. WCS has been providing long-term technical and financial support to TNS in partnership with WWF and the TNS Foundation. WCS Director for Africa Programs, James Deutsch, applauds the World Heritage Committee for acknowledging the value of this Central African protected area. Deutsch says, “The TNS is the wild heart of the Congo Basin Rainforest. It contains some of the last great populations of African forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, and other endangered species.”  Areas devoted to wildlife conservation are often slivers of fragmented terrains. Unlike many protected areas, TNS comprises an intact, ecologically functional landscape, making its protection crucial. Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25064 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25066/Elephants-Safe-in-Congo-Park-Amidst-Slaughter-in-Surrounding-Forests#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25066 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25066&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25066/Elephants-Safe-in-Congo-Park-Amidst-Slaughter-in-Surrounding-Forests The loss of 5,000 forest elephants to poachers in northern Republic of Congo over the past five years makes protected areas for Africa’s dwindling wildlife more important than ever, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Conservationists recommend that guard strength in northern Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, where elephant numbers have remained stable, should be doubled immediately to protect the park’s estimated 2,300 individuals. In addition, protection should be bolstered just outside the protected area where 4,000 elephants remain in the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified logging concessions and swamps patrolled by forest guards. Steve Sanderson, WCS President and CEO, said, “This conservation crisis means that Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and its surrounding lands must be turned into a bastion of hope for forest elephants. We must do all we can to ensure that these magnificent animals remain safe from poachers.” The successful protection of Nouabalé-Ndoki—which covers an area larger than the state of Rhode Island—is unusual in Central Africa’s Congo Basin rainforest. Reports of elephant slaughter across the region, and increasingly large and frequent seizures of ivory in transit to Asia, suggest that the decline in areas around the park represent what is happening across Central Africa. “The forces of illegal wildlife trade are decimating forest elephants in the Republic of Congo and across Central Africa,” said Dr. Paul Telfer, Director of WCS’s Republic of Congo Program. “The remaining populations of forest elephants in protected areas such as Nouabalé-Ndoki are becoming the last strongholds for the entire species.” Recent elephant counts paint a grim picture. Overall, the numbers of elephants in the entire area surveyed (27,000 square kilometers or just over 10,000 square miles) have dropped from almost 13,000 individuals in 2006 to approximately 6,300 in 2011, a total decrease of more than 50 percent. The areas around the park in which elephants have been killed include unallocated swaths of forest and swamp habitat, community reserves, and logging concessions. Without guards in the logging concessions as part of long-term conservation efforts there, forest elephants outside the park would have likely disappeared by now. The illegal ivory trade drives the precipitous decline of forest elephants in the Republic of Congo and across the Congo Basin. Part of a huge wave of international organized crime that links trafficking in humans, wildlife, and drugs and weapons, the illegal ivory trade delivers big payoffs to ivory traffickers at all levels along the chain. Other factors contributing to the slaughter of elephants include access to formerly impenetrable tracts of rainforest through new roads in the region and the proliferation of arms such as AK-47 rifles. It is now recognized that even well-protected areas in Africa are under enormous pressure and must be better protected immediately. James Deutsch, Executive Director of WCS’s Africa Programs, added: “For twenty years we’ve been partnering with the Government of Congo, local communities, and logging companies to protect this region’s extraordinary natural heritage, including elephants. Until now, the result has been one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories. But the pressure from elephant poachers and ivory traffickers has become huge, and the elephants’ future, both in the park and in the surrounding area, now hangs in the balance. We need to redouble our efforts.” Support for the management and protection of Nouabalé -Ndoki National Park is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the Sangha Trinational Foundation, German Development Bank (KfW), French Development Bank (AFD), Spain-UNEP LifeWeb, and others. Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:03:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25066 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25070/Congo-Park-Expanded-to-Protect-Naive-Chimpanzees#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25070 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25070&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25070/Congo-Park-Expanded-to-Protect-Naive-Chimpanzees The Republic of Congo has formally expanded Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park to protect an increasingly rare treasure: one of Africa’s most pristine forests and a population of “naive” chimpanzees with so little exposure to humans that the curious apes investigate the conservationists who study them rather than run away. Known as the Goualougo Triangle, the 100-plus square-mile dense swamp forest and its unique great ape population was first reported in 1989 by WCS conservationists. The expansion of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park completes the legal process of the commitment made by the Republic of Congo in 2001 to protect the Goualogo by annexation to the park, boosting the size of the protected area from 1,492 square miles (386,592 hectares) to 1,636 square miles (423,870 hectares), an increase of more than 8 percent. “We commend the Republic of Congo for finalizing this critical process to extend the borders of Nouabalé-Ndoki to include the Goualougo Triangle, one of the great wonders of Africa,” said WCS President and CEO Steve Sanderson. “In a world of human use, this extraordinary forest is a reminder of Eden, an untouched gem teeming with chimpanzees, gorillas, and forest elephants. It is the definition of wild nature and must be protected.” Following the discovery of the Goualougo Triangle and concerned about growing poaching pressures in surrounding areas, the government of the Republic of Congo entered into an integrated partnership with WCS and Congolais Industrielle des Bois (CIB), a private logging company. The partnership implemented an effective buffer zone program in the timber concessions surrounding the Nouabalé-Ndoki Park while protecting the pristine forest. Consequently, CIB gave up its legal right to harvest timber from the Goualougo forest in the interest of leaving the wildlife undisturbed. Subsequent studies of the Goualougo Triangle’s “naïve” chimpanzee population by WCS conservationists Dave Morgan of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Crickette Sanz of Washington University have produced another major discovery—a diversity of tool sets used for foraging by this population of chimpanzees. Rather than using one type of tool for collecting termites from insect nests, the chimps of Goualougo used two distinct types of tools, a short stick to perforate the nest, and a long “probe” to extract insects for consumption. This tool specialization discovery was the first of its kind in wild chimpanzee populations. “This invaluable insight into the sophisticated minds of Goualougo’s chimps would have been lost forever if not for the commitment of the government to safeguard the wonders of this forest,” said WCS Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science John Robinson. “These chimps have greatly expanded our knowledge of chimpanzee culture. Continued work to study and protect this undisturbed population is essential.” With the apes of the Congo Basin facing increasing pressure from hunting, habitat loss, and the potential outbreak of devastating diseases such as Ebola, the protection of this area represents a major step towards ensuring their protection. “Bringing the Goualougo Triangle into the borders of Nouabalé-Ndoki will help conserve this landscape’s unspoiled richness and provide a safe harbor for these unique apes,” said Dr. James Deutsch, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Africa Program. Chimpanzee conservation efforts in the Republic of Congo have been supported by the U.S. government through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Great Ape Conservation Fund and Wildlife Without Borders-Africa Program. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has also provided support. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 1760, a bill sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) that would extend the FWS Great Ape Conservation Fund for an additional five years. To draw attention to the plight of the greater Congo Basin rainforest ecosystem, WCS’s Bronx Zoo opened the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit in 1999, which has raised millions of dollars from its admission fee for WCS conservation work in Central Africa. CIB and the Government of Congo first agreed to protect the Goualougo Triangle at a press conference held at the Congo Gorilla Forest in 2001. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25070 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25072/Tusk-Smuggler-Gets-Tough-Sentence#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25072 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25072&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25072/Tusk-Smuggler-Gets-Tough-Sentence An ivory trafficker from China is learning a hard lesson in a Congolese prison cell, where he will spend the next four years. His crime was attempting to smuggle ivory to Beijing. The contraband included five elephant tusks and various ivory items, such as chopsticks, carvings, and hankos, which are traditional name seals. When he attempted to board a Kenya Airways flight in January, the authorities stopped him.   The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forest Economy, and the Environment carried out the arrest, with help from the Gendarmerie and technical assistance from PALF (Project for the Application of Law for Fauna). PALF pushes for the arrest and prosecution of wildlife criminals in the region. The Republic of Congo has sent a clear message that violating laws that protect wildlife will not be tolerated,” said Elizabeth Bennett, Vice President of WCS’s Species Programs. “We urge other Central African nations to fight poachers with strong enforcement actions such as those taken by the Republic of Congo.” Recently in the journal Oryx (see Wanted: Tougher Enforcement Against Wildlife Crime), Bennett addressed how organized crime has become more sophisticated in smuggling wildlife and wildlife products and better adept at eluding authorities. Her solution is to respond to the problem with tougher enforcement. WCS commends Congolese officials for doing just that. Their August 10th sentencing of the smuggler marks a growing commitment to crack down on poaching activities that are decimating local wildlife. Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:15:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25072 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25076/Congo-Basin-Heads-of-State-and-Conservation-Groups-Celebrate-10-Years-of-Success-in-Saving-Worlds-Second-Largest-Rainforest#Comments 0 https://congo.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=24908&ModuleID=55067&ArticleID=25076 https://congo.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=25076&PortalID=255&TabID=24908 https://congo.wcs.org/Newsroom/ID/25076/Congo-Basin-Heads-of-State-and-Conservation-Groups-Celebrate-10-Years-of-Success-in-Saving-Worlds-Second-Largest-Rainforest JOINT PRESS RELEASE : African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund     Ongoing Threats include Bushmeat Hunting, Illegal Logging, and Climate Change Washington – September 29, 2009 -- Leaders of the Congo Basin countries and conservation groups are pressing for more attention, funds and technical support to save the world’s second largest rainforest and benefit its population during a Congo Basin Forest Forum and Congressional Hearing today. The leaders, including heads of state and ministers for natural resources, also agree that the 46 billion metric tons of carbon stored in the forests should be recognized as a valuable asset during global climate change talks in Copenhagen this December. The Forum and Congressional Hearing are aimed at celebrating 10 years since the historic Yaounde Summit, which first brought together heads of state from the countries that share the Congo Basin’s rich rainforests. Since that time, millions of acres of new protected areas have been created, new initiatives on bushmeat and anti-poaching are in place, and sustainable forestry is beginning to take root. A brief overview of accomplishments include: 34 protected areas, 61 community-based natural resource management areas, and 34 extractive resource zones have been zoned for conservation management, covering 126 million acres (51 million hectares) or more than a third of the Congo Basin forests. More than 11.5 million acres of forest have been certified as sustainably harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). More than 5,000 local men and women have been trained in conservation, land use planning and related conservation capacities. Although logging and forest degradation remain serious problems, the overall rate of deforestation in the Congo Basin is estimated to be a relatively low 0.17 percent -- a third of that of Brazil and a 10th of that of Indonesia. Studies of landscapes and wildlife have improved conservation planning, exemplified by a census indicating the existence of 125,000 previously unknown western lowland gorillas in Northern Congo. Indicators for the survival of some endangered species are also improving. Despite years of conflict and poaching, the population of mountain gorillas in Virunga, between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, is up 17percent  over a previous census taken 20 years ago. “Since 2002, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership has been instrumental to the creation of protected areas and national park networks, and in prioritizing natural resource management in the region. In fact, throughout the Congo Basin we have seen ‘conservation’ become a household word,” said Michael Fay, Conservationist and Senior Explorer for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “The investments have paid off handsomely and CBFP can serve as a model to be replicated in other major biomes around the world.”   While they are celebrating success, participants in the Forum are aware of the vast challenges facing the Congo Basin. “The conservation successes of the past 10 years are impressive, but they are tempered by the ongoing challenges of the bushmeat crisis, illegal logging and mining, and climate change,” said Dr. Richard Carroll, Vice President of World Wildlife Fund’s Africa and Madagascar Programs. Climate change discussions at the Forum highlight the urgent need to assess the impacts of climate change on the Congo Basin, begin devising adaptive strategies to cope with those impacts and recognize the importance of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The Congo Basin is an enormous carbon storehouse, sequestering an estimated 46 billion metric tons of carbon—more than any other forest except the Amazon.  However, since its rates of deforestation are relatively low, the countries of the region fear they may be excluded from climate agreements decided in Copenhagen this December that address deforestation and degradation. "The colossal quantities of carbon captured and stored in the forests of the Congo basin are massively significant in global efforts to tackle climate change. The Congo Basin Forest Partnership has shown that forest management can bring increased stability and prosperity to the people of the region,” said Dr Frank Hawkins, head of Conservation International's Africa Program. “We must ensure that the Copenhagen climate talks in December provide financial incentives for these nations to keep their forests standing or we will all suffer the consequences." "Reducing deforestation in the Congo Basin not only provides opportunities for conserving biodiversity while contributing to people's livelihoods, but also mitigates global climate change," said Dr. Patrick Bergin, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation. Other issues discussed at the Forum include resource extraction and the bushmeat trade. Building of roads for industrial extraction of minerals and trees are linked to increases in the bushmeat trade, as these roads provide a conduit to wildlife resources otherwise difficult to access. The bushmeat trade accounts for the majority of wildlife losses in the region, which negatively impacts forest health as key species such as such as apes, monkeys and elephants play key roles in the regeneration of the forest. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:25076