Support for Congolese conservationists.

Abstract

Gretchen Vogel (“Conflict in Congo threatens bonobos and rare gorillas,” News of the Week, 31 Mar., p. [2386][1]) describes the current plight of apes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whose habitat is on the front lines of a civil war that began about 18 months ago. The apes, including bonobos and the eastern lowland gorilla, are being poached for food by troops and refugees. The protection from poaching that national parks would normally provide for wildlife has been thwarted by the disarming of park guards by military leaders. The very presence of researchers and local dedicated conservationists, Vogel notes, has helped to alleviate the situation; however, the presence of dedicated Congolese researchers with outside support can be much more effective than efforts of foreign researchers. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been operating throughout the current civil war in collaboration with the Congolese national parks in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. In Okapi, it has been elephants and ungulates that have been heavily hunted to feed armed forces, which have passed through from Bunia to Kisangani. WCS has been able to work with Gilman International Conservation to support the rehabilitation of infrastructure as well as the salaries of Congolese conservationists. The presence of committed Congolese conservationists has meant that each successive incoming administration or army command has been approached and educated about the importance of the reserve for conservation. This has not stopped all poaching, but it has led to the rearming of the reserve guards and has led to reduced hunting by armed forces. The effectiveness of committed Congolese, in Okapi and elsewhere, has been recognized. UNESCO, with support from the United Nations Foundation (supported through a $1 billion gift from media magnate Ted Turner), has promised nearly $3 million over 4 years to five World Heritage Sites in DRC (Okapi and Garamba, Virunga, Kahuzi-Biega, and Salonga national parks). This support will be used for the salaries of park staff, the only presence on the grounds in some parks, as well as to provide equipment and monitoring. This initiative, which came from several conservation organizations with UNESCO, might become a model for United Nations support to conservation in areas of conflict. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.287.5462.2386