On the 3rd of March 2016 two men were arrested in northern Congo in the possession of 15 kilograms of ivory, an automatic weapon and nearly two hundred rounds of ammunition. Fitting that this arrest occurred on World Wildlife Day, which this year emphasized the importance of taking the future of wildlife, and specifically that of African elephants, into our hands. WCS supported the investigation...
Working as an eco-guard in the forests of central Africa is not a job for the faint hearted. The eco-guards working in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park spend 15 days out in the field at a time, covering many kilometers each day, often through thick forest undergrowth. Anyone who has walked in the forest can confirm it can be pretty unrelenting. They also have to constantly be...
Today is World Wildlife Day, an opportunity to celebrate the incredible diversity of wildlife on our planet, but sadly also a day to highlight the imminent threat to the survival of many of these species. We find ourselves at a crucial point in history for the conservation of wildlife, with several iconic species on the brink of extinction. Last year in a speech broadcast on...
The annual inventory of all government-stockpiled ivory in the Republic of Congo took place this week in the country’s capital city, Brazzaville. A team of government staff responsible for ivory management from across Congo’s parks and regional offices, together with NGO partners, assembled to learn about the inventory process with technical and financial support from WCS and Stop Ivory. Together the group counted, weighed, measured...
The Bambama vegetable growing association in southwestern Congo has been getting some beautiful yields of organic spinach. These crops were harvested from fallow fields that had been deserted due to lack of fertility. Now, with a few changes in farming practices, the community is getting bigger, and better quality yields, than ever before. The Bateke project is piloting a sustainable farming model at several sites...
Nested in the Batéké Plateau of Southern Congo, the Lefini Wildlife Reserve is surrounded by villages and agricultural land. The reserve is under pressure from unsustainable hunting and demand for fuel wood yet remains a key potential tourism site for the country. On the northern border of the reserve, people living in a small village called Mpoh, well aware of the importance of conservation for...