09 Jun
2006 - Gland, Switzerland – After nearly 50 years,
the okapi – the closest known relative to the
giraffe – has been rediscovered in Virunga National
Park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC), said WWF today.
This is the first sign of okapi
presence in the park since August 1959, according
to official records.
The discovery happened during
a recent survey led by the global conservation
organization and its governmental Congolese partner
ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation
de la Nature).
Still rare and threatened, the
okapi lives only in the tall primary forests of
eastern DRC, mainly in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve,
centered around the village of Epulu. But the
species was originally discovered further east
in the forests along the Semliki Valley, now in
the Virunga National Park – created in 1925 and
today a UN World Heritage site protected by international
and national laws.
The survey team also included
staff from Gillman International Conservation
as well as trackers from the local Bambabuti and
Twa communities, who know how to spot signs of
okapi. The team was studying the status of the
forests and threatened species such as elephants
and chimpanzees when they recorded 17 okapi tracks,
including prints in the mud and evidence of browsing
and dung. They also noted the presence of the
bongo, a rare large forest antelope which has
not been recorded in the area for 50 years either.
The lowland sector of Virunga
National Park has been the hideout for different
rebel groups over the past 20 years. This has
prevented ICCN from patrolling the areas. The
difficult terrain has also prevented logging and
farming there, which, according to WWF, explains
why the rare species has survived unnoticed.
“The rediscovery of okapis in
Virunga National Park after almost half a century
is a positive sign," said Marc Languy, of
WWF’s Eastern Africa Regional Programme.
"As the country is returning
to peace, it shows that the protected areas in
this troubled region are now havens for rare wildlife
once more. Key species have survived a critical
period but a lot remains to be done to preserve
them.”
WWF and ICCN have been working
together with local communities in the Virunga
National Park since 1987 despite recurrent unrest
in the area. Conservation activities include the
participatory demarcation of the parks boundaries,
peaceful relocation of illegal settlers, community
agroforestry projects, and environmental education.
However, WWF is still very concerned
by massive human activity within the protected
area and calls by local political leaders inviting
farmers to farm inside the national park.
"As the okapi is the national
symbol of ICCN, to see it back in Virunga is very
encouraging for our rangers who went through difficult
times during the past few years and is a reward
to their legendary commitment,” said Norbert Mushenzi,
the ICCN senior warden in charge of the area where
the rediscovery took place.
“But ICCN needs continued support
from its partners and local people to stop illegal
activity in the park and conserve the forest and
wildlife for future generations."
WWF urges the DRC government
to take appropriate measures to ensure the long-term
protection and conservation of the Virunga National
Park. Otherwise, the okapi’s return to the area
may be short-lived.
END NOTES:
• Despite its zebra-like markings, the okapi is
related to the giraffe. Okapis grow up to 2.5m
long and 2m tall at the shoulder, with an elongated
neck. Their weight ranges from 200 to 250kg. The
species was discovered in 1901 and is strictly
protected.
• Virunga National Park is situated
in eastern DRC along the borders with Rwanda and
Uganda, stretching over 300km between Lake Kivu
and Lake Albert. Over 60,000 people still live
illegally inside the protected area. Except for
mountain gorillas, which have shown an increase
in population due to important conservation efforts,
most wildlife in the park have heavily suffered
from poaching. The population of hippopotamus,
for example, has dropped from 29,000 in the mid-1970s
to less than 1,000 today.
• The forests along the Semliki
River at the foot of the Ruwenzori Mountain have
lost more than 4,000ha over the past five years
from deforestation for agriculture, including
600ha inside Virunga National Park. ICCN, with
support from WWF and other conservation partners,
has however managed to peacefully evacuate most
illegal settlers from the northern part of the
park, where the survey took place.
