A NEW JEEP FOR SURVEILLANCE OF THE RESERVE
Category: Ranger Patrols | Date: Oct 28 2007 | By: admin
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve still remember the drama done by soldiers of former Zaire in the year 1997. It was so sad since the Reserve was systematically looted by the ex FAZ soldier. More than 12 vehicles, motorbikes, computers,communication equipment ( fax,… ) were looted in few days .
Ten years ago, the Reserve gets chance for having a NEW BRAND JEEP for surveillance of the Reserve. This surveillance vehicle was purchased by UNESCO as one of the partners of the ICCN/RFO Site.
.
On the way from Beni to Epulu
This vehicle shall always help for the transport of patrol ration, to deploy rangers in strategic zone…..
Rangers enjoying their new jeep in Epulu Station.
In short, Rangers thank very much UNESCO for this donation which should facilitate the management of the Reserve.
Somba
Technorati : congo, epulu., okapi. wildlifedirect
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A NEW JEEP FOR SURVEILLANCE OF THE RESERVE
Category: Ranger Patrols | Date: Oct 27 2007 | By: admin
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve still remember the drama done by soldiers of former Zaire in the year 1997. It was so sad since the Reserve was systematically looted by the ex FAZ soldier. More than 12 vehicles, motorbikes, computers,communication equipment ( fax,… ) were looted in few days .
Ten years ago, the Reserve gets chance for having a NEW BRAND JEEP for surveillance of the Reserve. This surveillance vehicle was purchased by UNESCO as one of the partners of the ICCN/RFO Site.
.
On the way from Beni to Epulu
This vehicle shall always help for the transport of patrol ration, to deploy rangers in strategic zone…..
Rangers enjoying their new jeep in Epulu Station.
In short, Rangers thank very much UNESCO for this donation which should facilitate the management of the Reserve.
Somba
Technorati : congo, epulu., okapi. wildlifedirect
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WORKSHOP WITH TRADITIONAL CHIEFS IN MAMBASA, D.R.Congo
Category: Community Work, General | Date: Oct 16 2007 | By: admin
I am obliged to let you know about the workshop organized in Mambasa by the management of the Okapi wildlife Reserve (OWR) from 10th to 11th of October 2007. 7 traditional chiefs with their respective population representative, the Administration service of Mambasa territory, and the Reserve staff attended the workshop. The discussion was on “what mechanisms of dialogue/ concertation between local population and the Reserve managers?”
As listed on the world heritage site of UNESCO, the reserve has benefiting the Emergency funds which allows the management for the organization. We noticed the presence of the technical director of ICCN (Congolese Institute for nature conservation) Mr. Benoit KISUKI from
Kinshasa
who presented on “ICCN mission and implication of the local community in protected areas “, and played key role during discussion.
Adt Benoit Kisuki( in white shirt ) surrounding with the Reserve Officers in Epulu
Mr. Mapilanga, senior warden of the reserve also intervene on the subject:”Creation of the Reserve, natures of problems and local community preoccupation ” , and Mr. Ntumba , assistant of community Conservation programme in the Reserve discussed on ” The CPCL’s Programme “set up in the reserve on the year 1994- 1996. It was planned that one of the local chief should pass and talk in the name of his colleagues how was their appreciation on the CPCLs structure in terms of communication between population and the reserve, and he does not delay to illustrate some gaps from members who wanted to be transformed as rangers,….
Walese Karo chief talking
It is a pleasure to inform you that this Chief was among the 2006 laureates of Abraham price in DRCongo because of his leadership in defending conservation, and his positive attitude towards conservation of the reserve.
Mr. Mapilanga ( in blue shirt )during his expose
Groupphoto with all participants
At all, it was fine since the local chiefs had time to confirm their support to the wildlife of the reserve, and showed clearly their desire to become patterns of the conservation of the reserve. Some responsibilities were been defined during the workshop and I mean things will be interesting in future if one of the participants as stakeholder keep in mind the importance of the reserve and apply the new concept gained from the workshop.
Somba
Technorati : epulu, okapi, okapi. wildlifedirect
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THE LAST DAY OF MR. GUO Zanghfu
Category: General | Date: Oct 14 2007 | By: admin
In the year 1992, Mr. Jonathan one of the tourists visiting the Okapi Faunal Reserve landscape found the death in Epulu. According to his family and his wife who witnessed that they could not be convinced that Jonathan should die in such river because he was proclaimed as the first swimmer of the world… Himself with some tourists swimmer in Epulu, but he was taking away with the river. One year later, Miss Sandy from American who teaches the 2 daughters of Mr. John Hart lost her arm by crocodile. This means, the Epulu has many bad things: rocks, crocodile… cannot let someone to survive once drowned
As I wrote in my previous blog, the four national road crosses the Reserve, and is constructed by a Chinese Enterprise named SINOHYDRO CORPORATION. Chinese engineers work with Congolese citizen. One of the Chinese Engineer called Mr. GUO died in Epulu by suicide for reason which escaped all of us.
Four expeditions were organized for checking in the river by some fishermen, and in the long side of this. The manager of the Reserve facilitated the expedition by supporting the team with a ranger with a communication satellite phone this for knowing what is happen in deep forest.
Fisher men in traditional canoe searching the corpse
Epulu village Chief with the team in forest
Mozas communicating with the headquarter about the discovery of Mr.GUO corpse in Epulu
Really, it was a sad event in the village, and road workers were off for almost 5 days by missing Mr. Guo Zanghfu who was in charge of crushing stone.
During the security meeting, SINOHYDRO director, Somba and local community
Immediately, the Mambasa administrator, Security service and Police were informed and came in Epulu waiting for the memorial ceremony after a medical check.
The mambasa Administrator with the medical and the reserve staff waiting for the corps
The corpse was discovered after 19 days of searching in Epulu river
We still remember Mr. GUO, and pray the God of our ancestors to protect him with all bad things.
Somba
Technorati : epulu, okapi. wildlifedirect
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PATROL DEBRIEFING: Case of Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Category: Epulu, Ranger Patrols, Rangers | Date: Oct 07 2007 | By: admin
As the definition says, a patrol is to go round an area to check that is secure or safe and that there is no trouble. The Okapi wildlife Reserve with its 13,700 square kilometers is the second after
Salonga
National park
in DRCongo (36,000 square kilometers) in terms of area.
Rangers securing this beautiful Reserve which abounds some endemics species such us: Okapi, water chevrotain, aquatic genet… under different threats of armed poaching, uncontrolled agriculture, population immigration towards the reserve, illegal mining are less than 100, but it needs strategy to cover the total area in terms of patrolling.
Epulu rangers in parade
Before going out, the Monitoring and Anti poaching Unities always sit down and brief the team for the normal progression in the field, and once back the patrol leader and the secretary of the team have the obligation to debrief their patrol. Rangers in the field use some navigation equipments for example: compass, GPS, the reserve map,…and the management provide also the Satellite phone for communication ( Thuraya ), this allows the manager to be in permanent contact with the team and for any emergency.
patrol leaders during the debriefing
Somba trains rangers on communication with Satelite phone ( Thuraya )
Communication exercise
That is important for debriefing of a patrol, is to see how the team moves day per day, and permits other to be informed of the sector patrolled, and specially have a big picture of the region in terms of animal movement, plants, poaching activity,…..
By the way, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve monitoring team needs more equipment for the keeping of database (computer), GP, sleeping bag and compasses to improve its work.
Your donation is welcomed for the safeguarding of the naturals resources of the Reserve.
Somba
Technorati : congo, epulu., okapi. wildlifedirect
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THE NATIONAL ROAD4 IN OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE
Category: General | Date: Oct 07 2007 | By: admin
The Epulu Station of capture and breeding okapis welcomed a delegation from
Kinshasa
on 2nd of august, 2007 conducted by Mr. Tobie CHALONDAWA the UCOP Operation Director. The UCOP means Projects Coordination Unity in DRCongo which works under The Plans Ministry. We were prevented to invite the local authorities where Mr. KEBE ABDALLAH (Mambasa Administrator) attended also the meeting in Epulu.
Meeting with the delegation of WorldBank in Epulu
The main reason to invite people, and other community was to inform clearly the audience about the road resumption activity which was suspended by the World Bank (the sponsor) on 22nd of March, 2007.
Mr. Mapilanga acting as the senior Warden of the Okapi Faunal Reserve surrounding with all ICCN partners was glad to welcome the message from the delegation.
UCOP, SINOHYDRO, and OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE Staffs in Epulu
Let me remember you that there was many speculation about the World Bank decision of 22nd August,2007.Some people thought that the Reserve staffs was the one who did not like the road progression towards NiaNia,…. but they deserved to be edified more and understand that the Reserve management does not be the one to stop the road progression activity unless the World Bank which sponsors also conservation in some place in the world, and should not accept to be in contradiction with conservation rules.
Really, the meeting was hot, but it was finished in peace.
Somba
Technorati : congo, epulu., okapi. wildlifedirect
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Meeting with Virginia of Wildlfedirect in Beni
Category: General | Date: Oct 06 2007 | By: admin
The Wildlife Direct which is a no- profit Organization based in
North
Virunga
National Park
(Mutsora Station ) DRCongo, is the one which deals with fund rising through blog. They have initiated rangers for bloging in different subjects such as: Rangers activity in the field, general, activity, Community work, the idea itself is positive in terms of exchanging news from a side to other in the conservation ground. The Management of Wildlife Direct through necessary to interest Okapi Wildlife Reserve for the same issue and Rangers from this Nature reserve is able to post some blog.
from left to right: Senior Warden Mapilanga, GIC Director Rosy Ruf, Ass. Warden Somba
Two months ago, we had a technical problems with the Zoundry software, and We were incapable to post , so this is the reason why our readers did not read us in the net.
Many emails between Samantha (Communication Director),
Virginia
were exchanged with the Okapi Reserve Staffs for solving this problem. In fact, the zoundry software which permit someone to write down his blog offline, is fortunately reset in Beni by
Virginia
one of the wildlife Direct members.
In the name of Okapi Faunal Reserve manager, I particularly thank very much
Virginia
for her disponibility to meet us for the issue.
Miss.
Virginia
with Somba solving the Zoundry software problem
in
Beni
Somba
Technorati : congo, epulu., okapi. wildlifedirect
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