The Okapi Reserve

Category: Community Work, Epulu, Mbuti Pygmies, Okapi, Rangers | Date: Apr 02 2007 | By: admin

Hi. My name is Rosy and I am the representative of Gilman International Conservation in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The first time I visited this place was as a tourist in 1984. I did not know then that 3 years later I would return to this part of Congo to work and live. I have been here for 20 years.

Epulu, where I live, is in the heart of the Ituri forest and is the HQ of the Congo Rangers in the reserve. You already know about Somba and Mapilanga.

One of my responsibilities to take care of 15 Okapis kept at the breeding station here. Okapis are browsers and the base of their daily diet is leaves. They are fed twice a day with approximately 30 different kind of fresh leaves which are collected in primary and secondary forest.

This is Karu, feeding in the afternoon.

The work of collecting the leaves is carried out by the Mbuti Pygmies. We employ 49 Mbuti men and women. They collect the leaves and ensure that the Okapis have what they need every day to feed. Seven days a week these brave people are carrying out their job with a dedication that is incomparable.

The Mbuti Pygmies leave their camp just as the day begins, and head towards the forest. After cutting and bundling up the leaves which takes them around 3 hours they return from the forest and bring leaves to the station. This is their daily task.

It is impressive to watch how well the Mbuti Pygmies are adapted to the forest. No one else knows the forest better than them.

Technorati : congo, drc, epulu, gic, ituri, okapi, pygmies, wildlifedirect

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