Okapi Wildlife Reserve
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The Okapi Wildlife Reserve () is a wildlife reserve in the
Ituri Forest The Ituri Rainforest (French language, French: ''Forêt tropicale de l’Ituri'') is a rainforest located in the Ituri Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forest's name derives from the nearby Ituri River which flows ...
in the north-east of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
, near the borders with
South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...
and
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
. At approximately 14,000 km2, it covers approximately one-fifth of the area of the forest. In 1996, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was designated a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
, due to its large population of endangered
okapi The okapi (; ''Okapia johnstoni''), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. However, non-invasive gen ...
s and its high overall biodiversity.


Ecology

The wildlife reserve makes up roughly one-fifth of the total area of the
Ituri Forest The Ituri Rainforest (French language, French: ''Forêt tropicale de l’Ituri'') is a rainforest located in the Ituri Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forest's name derives from the nearby Ituri River which flows ...
. As a
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
refugium, the forest contains dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dominated by ''Mbau'' trees (''
Gilbertiodendron dewevrei ''Gilbertiodendron dewevrei'' is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical rain forests in Central Africa. It is often the dominant tree species of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. The timber is traded as ''limbali'', and is us ...
''). The Nepoko,
Ituri Ituri Province ( in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of the 21 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the Subdivisions of the DR Congo#New provinces, 2015 repartitioning. Ituri, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces ...
, and Epulu rivers flow through the reserve, surrounded by swamp forests. Granite outcrops in the north of the reserve protect critical habitat for '' Encephalartos ituriensis'', a threatened species of
cycad Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk (botany), trunk with a crown (botany), crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants o ...
. Because of its relatively stable climate during the repeated
ice ages An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and Gre ...
, the wildlife reserve, and the Ituri Forest as a whole, protects a unique biological community. As its name implies, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is home to many
okapi The okapi (; ''Okapia johnstoni''), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. However, non-invasive gen ...
s. As of 1996, the number was estimated at 3900–6350, out of a global population of around 10,000–20,000. In 1996, there were roughly 7,500
elephants Elephants are the Largest and heaviest animals, largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian ele ...
and 7,500
chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...
s within the reserve, although those numbers have likely declined significantly in recent years due to poaching and political instability. Other mammals identified within the reserve include the
leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
, forest buffalo,
water chevrotain The water chevrotain (''Hyemoschus aquaticus''), also known as the fanged deer, is a small ruminant found in tropical Africa. This is the only species in the genus ''Hyemoschus''. It is the largest of the 10 species of chevrotains, basal even ...
, bongo,
Bates's pygmy antelope Bates's pygmy antelope (''Nesotragus batesi''), also known as the dwarf antelope, pygmy antelope''The New Encyclopaedia of Mammals'' D MacDonald 2002 Oxford or Bates' dwarf antelope, is a very small antelope living in the moist forest and brush ...
, and
giant forest hog The giant forest hog (''Hylochoerus meinertzhageni''), the only member of its genus (''Hylochoerus''), is native to wooded habitats in Africa and is one of the largest wild members of the pig family, Suidae, along with a few subspecies of the wi ...
. The Ituri Forest is home to 17 primate species, the most of any African forest. The reserve has over 370 species of bird, and is one of the most important sites for bird conservation in mainland Africa. Many of the bird species found in the reserve are
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the Congo Basin, including the endangered
Congo peafowl The Congo peafowl (''Afropavo congensis''), also known as the African peafowl or ''mbulu'' by the Bakôngo, is a species of peafowl native to the Congo Basin. It is one of three peafowl species and the only member of the subfamily Pavoninae na ...
. The imposing Mbiya Mountain overlooks the Epulu village, and nomadic
Mbuti The Mbuti people, or Bambuti, are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their languages are Central Sudanic languages and Bantu languages. Subgroups Bambuti are pygmy hunter-gatherers, and are one of the oldest ...
pygmies and
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...
farmers also live within the reserve.


History

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was created with the help of the
Okapi Conservation Project The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was founded in 1987 for the protection of the okapis (''Okapia johnstoni'') and their habitat. Okapis are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are seen as the major flagship species of the Itur ...
in 1992. The project continues to support the reserve by training and equipping wildlife guards and by providing assistance to improve the lives of neighboring communities. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger in 1997. Threats include the
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
caused by
slash and burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. T ...
agriculture, and commercial hunting for the sale of
bushmeat Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are Hunting, hunted for human consumption. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity in poor and rural communities of humid tropical forest regions of the worl ...
.
Gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold by mining. Historically, mining gold from Alluvium, alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. The expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface has led to mor ...
has also been problematic. As of 2005, the fighting in the eastern part of the country entered the reserve, causing its staff to flee or be evacuated. Lack of funding due to the poor political and economic conditions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also been problematic. It is hoped that eco-tourism to the area can be developed, leading to both increased funding and improved public awareness.


Conservation

The wildlife reserve is home to the Epulu Conservation and Research Center on the Epulu River. This facility dates back to 1928 when the camp was founded by American
anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
Patrick Putnam Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...
as a capture station, where wild okapis were captured before being sent to American and European
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...
s. Until 2012 it remained a capture station, though it no longer exports okapis. In 2012 a rebel attack killed the facility's captive okapis. Consequently, it chose to prioritize focus exclusively on preserving the wild okapis in the reserve, pending the cessation of hostilities. The center conducts much important research and conservation work.


Gold mining

As of 2015 there was a gold
artisanal mining Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a blanket term for a type of subsistence mining involving a miner who may or may not be officially employed by a List of mining companies, mining company but works independently, mining minerals using the ...
camp at Muchacha within the reserve employing about 8,000 people. The mine was run by a loosely organized rebel faction,
Mai-Mai The term Mai-Mai or Mayi-Mayi refers to any kind of community-based militia group active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is formed to defend local communities and territory against other armed groups. Most were formed to resis ...
Simba, who aimed to liberate the local population from the reserve's land use restrictions. The warden of the reserve, Colonel Lucien Gedeon Lokumu announced operation to clear the reserve of rebel forces and mining operations. A June 2021 report from the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo raised concerns about the presence of semi-industrialized
dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing d ...
operations within the reserve, operating 12 kilometers south of Bandegaido. Mining took place within the Muchacha Ming Complex (MMC) which held a permit from the official DRC Mining Cadastre, held by the Chinese businessman Kong Maohuai's MCC Resources. The company Kimia Mining Investment Sarl was operating at the mine. Mining is illegal in the reserve, and FARDC troops were guarding the mining site illegally. Later that month, Congolese authorities announced the seizure of 31 kg of gold (about $1.9 million) from this Muchaha mine. As of 2022, non-governmental organizations such as the Council for Environmental Defense through Legality and Traceability (CODELT) and Alerte Congolaise pour l’Environnement et les Droits de l’Homme (ACEDH) blame mining operations for destroying pristine rainforest within the reserve.


Rebel attacks

On 24 June 2012, the Epulu Conservation and Research Center was attacked, looted and burned by a group of
Mai-Mai The term Mai-Mai or Mayi-Mayi refers to any kind of community-based militia group active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is formed to defend local communities and territory against other armed groups. Most were formed to resis ...
rebels, led by
Paul Sadala Paul Sadala (died April 2014), alias "Morgan", was a Congolese militant, poacher and faction leader. Throughout the 2000s, Sadala grew into an elephant poaching kingpin in northeastern Congo, particularly in and around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. H ...
(AKA Morgan) consisting of
elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
poachers and illegal miners.Okapi Conservation Project (28 June 2012).
Okapi Conservation Project, Epulu Update – June 28, 2012
.'' Retrieved 15 September 2012
During the attack, 13 of 14 okapis at the center were killed immediately, the last later dying of its injuries. Six people, including two wildlife rangers, were also killed. Many locals, including children, were abducted, but all were released later.Mongobay (9 September 2013).
A year after devastating attack, security returns to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (photos)
'' Retrieved 16 July 2017.
In early August, the security situation had improved due to
Congolese army Congolese or Kongolese may refer to: African peoples * Congolese people (disambiguation) * Kongo people, a Bantu ethnic group who live along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo) to Luanda, Angola, primarily defined by ...
troops and guards from the Congolese Wildlife Authority, and preparations for repairs of the center had begun. Using donations from around the world, it was rebuilt one year after the attack. On 14 July 2017, there was an attack in the section of the reserve near
Mambasa Mambasa is a town in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the headquarters of Mambasa Territory. Geography Mambasa is a locality located on national road number 4 (RN4) 174 km west of the provincial capital Bunia Buni ...
, likely by Mai-Mai rebels. Foreign journalists (two British and an American) and several park rangers escaped unharmed, but five local reserve employees (four wardens and a tracker) were killed.New York Times (16 July 2017).
U.S. journalist found alive in Congo, 5 others are killed
'' Retrieved 16 July 2017.
France24 (16 July 2017).
Kidnapped US journalist in DR Congo found safe, five wardens killed
.'' Retrieved 16 July 2017.
Several attackers were also killed.


See also

* Centre National d'Appui au Développement et à la Participation populaire * Corneille Ewango *
Okapi Conservation Project The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was founded in 1987 for the protection of the okapis (''Okapia johnstoni'') and their habitat. Okapis are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are seen as the major flagship species of the Itur ...


References


Further reading

*Susan Lyndaker Lindsey; Mary Neel Green; Cynthia L. Bennett (1999). ''The Okapi''. University of Texas Press.


External links


Government website: l'Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)

UNESCO Okapi Wildlife Reserve Site



Blogs from the Rangers of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve


{{authority control World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Protected areas established in 1992 Faunal reserves 1992 establishments in Zaire Northeastern Congolian lowland forests