In October 2023, OCP’s Program Manager, Berce Nsafuansa, participated in a panel titled Healing Habitats on the importance of community involvement and support when working to protect okapi.

The 2022 Annual Report is available in English and Français versions.

PRESS RELEASE: October 17, 2023. Okapi Wildlife Reserve celebrates the globally threatened okapi and its rainforest habitat

I was able to visit Epulu in July. Travel was challenging (7 different airports on the way in, 8 different airports on the way back) with the cancellation problems occurring outside of DRC, it took me 5 days to get home. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived in Epulu that for the first time all staff working for OCP in Epulu and our 6 field offices around the Reserve were all together in Epulu.

Wildlife Conservation Global (WCG) is happy to announce the appointment of John Watkin as Deputy Director. With over 30-years of experience in field conservation and philanthropic sectors, John brings to bear considerable talents to advancing WCG/Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) mission to conserve the okapi in the wild, while preserving the biological and cultural diversity of the Ituri forest.

This June, our team embarked on a camera trap expedition through the dense forest landscapes of Bianje, Bandisende, and Bukulani. The primary goal of the trip was to determine the presence of various animals, with a particular focus on the elusive okapi. Ten cameras were set in locations of interest to capture the biodiversity of the area and species abundance and movement. The team also collected memory cards from previously set cameras to review upon their return from the field.

We are delighted to share the latest updates from our women’s empowerment program as we celebrate International Women's Day. Over the past 6 months, we continued our support by providing the OCP women's groups in Epulu, Mambasa, Mungbere, Niania, and Wamba with essential materials for sewing, embroidery, knitting, and community gardens. These resources support improved livelihoods and food security.

Our assistance continues to extend to the family of the late ranger Fiston MADAWA with tuition for his two children. We also provided milk for two infants of late ecoguards of Mont Hoyo. Support from Fondation Segré enabled our sustained commitment to ICCN by providing necessary rations for over 200 ecoguards to support their patrol of an estimated 6,000 km² of the Reserve.

Our education programming started 2023 with renewing our contracts with radio stations that promote and disseminate our educational radio broadcasts. Broadcasts are transmitted in French, Swahili, and Lingala when possible, and cover a series of topics. New recordings were added this quarter highlighting the OCP agroforestry program and an interview with ICCN ecoguard Rosette about ICCN’s mission to protect the invaluable biodiversity of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

This February, our In-country Director, Rosmarie Ruf, was presented with the 2022 Mambasa Patriotism Prize for her exceptional contributions to the conservation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Rosie has been working in northeastern DR Congo with the Okapi Conservation Project since our founding, over 36 years ago.

Our agroforestry team has been busy at work with local farmers collecting produce and seeds while preparing for the upcoming rainy season. Agronomes collected soil from different nurseries to prepare several species of seedlings for the planting seasons and readied fields. The start of the year also encompassed a review and strategic planning for this year’s activities and renovation of the Epulu nursery to better support local communities and the growing program.

Two thousand twenty two was a year of notable events; OCP celebrated 35 years of continuous efforts to conserve okapi in DRC, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve commemorated the 30th Anniversary as a protected area encompassing a unique and diverse array of plants and animals found in no other place in the world and personally important, I was able to visit with our Project staff after a 2-year absence due to COVID-19 restrictions. Our weekly zoom calls notwithstanding, it was so special to feel the warmth of the people, the smell of the forest and the immensity of the place where okapi live.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is home to several communities that include a large number of farmers who practice slash-and-burn agriculture. Being aware of the danger this cultivation practice represents to okapi habitat, it is necessary to educate and disseminate sustainable agroforestry techniques that improve peoples’ livelihoods while protecting the rainforest.

Our education program facilitated several outreach initiatives including visits to the Epulu-Okapi Primary School and the Yambuya Primary School to present on local protected species and the importance of their survival.

World Okapi Day (October 18th) has quickly grown to be a large celebration around the Reserve, and we continue to focus on educating local communities on the okapi’s values and importance while urging them to fight against various threats against the animal and its habitat.

This year, thanks to funding from a generous donor, we renovated the original building of the Okapi Dispensary to bring it up to par with the new wing built three years earlier.

Celebrating International Women’s Day.

With OCP providing financial support through the Wildlife Conservation Network and other sources, Conserv Congo is leading a thorough response to the trafficking of okapi and other wildlife, and their investigations revealed that 80% of the illegal wildlife products seized in Uganda originate from DRC.

How calendars are bringing conservation to the masses across the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

The CorPPN visits the Reserve to discuss security and on honor the ICCO Ecoguards.