AFRICAN
CONSERVATION AND WEB SITES FOR AFRICA FROM
AFRICANWEBSITES.NET
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WCS-Congo. The tropical lowland forest of central
Africa is the second
l
argest
forest in the world, and home to an extraordinary range of biological diversity.
Three of the world's four species of Great Apes are found there (gorillas,
chimpanzees and bonobos), along with half the elephants of Africa, rare animals
such as the bongo and the okapi, and a wealth of
different
types of trees, plants and fruits. They provide humans with food, shelter,
wood, and medicines, as well as helping to prevent global warming. The delicate
balance that exists within this ecosystem is now under threat. Poachers have
brought some species to the brink of extinction, irresponsible loggers have
destroyed large areas of forest, and pressures from an increasing human
population have seen large areas of wilderness converted into farmland. This
excessive exploitation of the forest's natural resources means that the future
is uncertain. In partnership with the Congolese government,
WCS-Congo
is helping to ensure that these forests are protected. WCS currently helps
manage three Protected
A
reas,
the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP), the Conkouati-Douli National
Park and the Lac Télé Community Reserve, as well as a protective
'buffer zone' around NNNP. This partnership between the Congolese government
and WCS ensures that these zones are effectively managed, working towards
the sustainable management of the region's natural resources.
H.E.L.P.Congo, set up by Aliette Jamart, has been
actively working in the Republic of Congo
since 1989. This NGO, concerned with conservation
and eco-development, advocates a global approach to sustainable
management of tropical African environments.
Such an approach is the only one that can enable the fauna - in particular
the chimpanzee, the projects flagship species - to be protected and compatible
with local sustainable economic development. Since 1996,
H.E.L.P.
Congo has been conducting a programme - unique in the world because
of its scale - of reintroducing
chimpanzee
s into the natural environment of the Conkouati
Reserve, located some 180 km north-east of Pointe Noire. This involves the
reintroduction of approximately fifty chimpanzees, survivors of the trade
in bushmeat, seized by the Congolese authorities. On their release they are
fitted with a tracking radio collar and are monitored utilising scientific
data collection. As a consequence,
H.E.L.P.
Congo has developed its skills both in terms of conservation and
logistics. To date this NGO employs more than 15 Congolese on a regular basis,
which makes it one of the most significant employers in the Conkouati region.
This innovative project, the first to successfully reintroduce chimpanzees
back to the wild still has a lot of work to do and HELP needs your help to
do this!
Much of Africa's habitat
and its wildlife is threatened by overpopulation and unsustainable use of
natural resources
by poor people. Raptors are no exception; over 100 species
either breed in Africa or migrate there each winter from Europe and Asia.
Conservation of far ranging species like raptors and other migratory birds
presents special problems to biologists. How do we protect animals that range
so far and need widely dispersed habitats in which to survive?
The Peregrine
Fund's Pan Africa Program aims to establish projects throughout Africa
that train local people to do the studies needed to achieve conservation
of birds of prey and other species. The programme will bring biologists from
diverse countries and cultures together in a common effort to protect Africa's
natural resources. You can email The Peregrine Fund at
tpf@peregrinefund.org.
The Bushmeat Project has been established to develop
and support community based partnerships that will
hel
p
the people of various African countries, to develop alternatives to unsustainable
bushmeat commerce. The programme is a long-term effort to provide economic
and social incentive to people to protect great apes and other endangered
wildlife. Some of the largest wildlife and animal welfare organizations in
North America have joined them in agreement that the Bushmeat Crisis is a
top priority concern and that it is time to act. Some of the largest wildlife
and animal welfare organizations in North America have joined them in agreement
that the Bushmeat Crisis is a top priority concern and that it is time to
act. To learn more about this effort
check the website
or email to hq@biosynergy.org. Donations
will be used to help turn poachers to protectors, educate people about the
intrinsic values of wildlife, and to create new protected areas in which
apes will be safe for people to study and observe.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) (Headquartered
at the Bronx Zoo, U.S.A.), works to save wildlife and wild lands throughout
the world. For more than a century, WCS has inspired care for nature,
pioneered environmental education programmes
and helped sustain biological diversity. WCS supports programmes in
Africa to gather information on wildlife needs, train local conservation
professionals, and work with in-country staff to protect and manage wildlife
and wild areas for the future. For information on any of their current projects
in Congo - detailed below - you can email them at
feedback@wcs.org :
Nouabale-Ndoki Project (WCS/USAID/GEF)
Nouabale-Ndoki buffer zone management (WCS/USAID/GEF)
Forest elephant migration and ecology (WCS/USFWS/Save the Elephants)
Biological surveys and monitoring in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (WCS/GEF)
Bongo ecology and use of forest clearings (WCS/Busch Gardens)
Ecology of 'bais' and their importance for wildlife.
Protection for important elephant populations. (WCS/USFWS)
Mbeli bai gorilla social dynamics and ecology (WSC/Busch
Gardens).
For more information on Congo,
click here.
If you would like to
contact us please email
terry@africanconservation.org
