Conservation of the environment is a critical concern for the Republic of the Congo. It is a land covered in verdant rainforest, complete with their populations of exotic animal life. In 2011, President Denis Sassou Nguesso hosted the Summit of the Three Rainforest Basins in Brazzaville to discuss protection of the rainforests of these areas. The three basins are the Amazon Basin of South America, the Congo Basin in Central Africa and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in Southeast Asia. While no commitments were made, the parties agreed for a declaration of goodwill on biodiversity, climate, economic and social significance of their rainforest regions. The Republic of the Congo takes preserving its wild lands and wildlife quite seriously.
Far north in the Republic of the Congo, bordering the Central African Republic lies the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Covering roughly 3,921.61 kilometers, this park consists of untouched tropical rainforest free from almost any human habitation save a few villages along its perimeter. The park boasts abundant populations of elephants, apes, including Western Lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, as well as ungulates like the bongo, the largest of Africa’s forest antelope species. There are also over 300 species of birds and over 1,000 plant and tree species, including endangered mahoganies.
The government of the Republic of the Congo created the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in 1993. The area had originally been marked for commercial timber extraction. Fortunately, the government made the audacious move of singling out the unique, uninhabited wilderness for preservation. Through joint cooperation of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Congolese Ministry of Forestry Economy (MEF), activities within the park have centered on developing and applying efficient management strategies for protection, ecotourism, research and monitoring. Like other national parks, groups of “eco-guards” protect the haven from poachers, an unfortunate and very real threat to the animals of these reserves.
Maintenance of biodiversity in this area is a complex matter. 4,000 square kilometers may sound like a lot, but it is not sufficient enough to just protect the species within the park boundaries. When it comes to protecting wide-ranging species like forest elephants, wildlife authorities need to figure out how to guarantee these animals protection across their whole range, including areas beyond the park’s borders. To make this feasible, the WCS as well as national park staff have been working together with government officials, local villagers and logging companies to ensure that these roaming animals will be safe from dangers once they have left the confines of the park. From this effort came the Projet Gestion Peripheriques au Parc National Nouabale-Ndoki (Project for the Management of Ecosystems Adjacent to the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park—PROGEPP). This group is a collaboration of the WCS, the Republic of the Congo’s government, the lumber company CIB (Congolaise Industrielle du Bois) and the local people—one of the most crucial collaborators. Through these groups’ combined efforts, the wildlife of the region has been well preserved, but modern infrastructure has also been allowed to develop with minimal effect on the natural surroundings.
Far north in the Republic of the Congo, bordering the Central African Republic lies the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Covering roughly 3,921.61 kilometers, this park consists of untouched tropical rainforest free from almost any human habitation save a few villages along its perimeter. The park boasts abundant populations of elephants, apes, including Western Lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, as well as ungulates like the bongo, the largest of Africa’s forest antelope species. There are also over 300 species of birds and over 1,000 plant and tree species, including endangered mahoganies.
Maintenance of biodiversity in this area is a complex matter. 4,000 square kilometers may sound like a lot, but it is not sufficient enough to just protect the species within the park boundaries. When it comes to protecting wide-ranging species like forest elephants, wildlife authorities need to figure out how to guarantee these animals protection across their whole range, including areas beyond the park’s borders. To make this feasible, the WCS as well as national park staff have been working together with government officials, local villagers and logging companies to ensure that these roaming animals will be safe from dangers once they have left the confines of the park. From this effort came the Projet Gestion Peripheriques au Parc National Nouabale-Ndoki (Project for the Management of Ecosystems Adjacent to the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park—PROGEPP). This group is a collaboration of the WCS, the Republic of the Congo’s government, the lumber company CIB (Congolaise Industrielle du Bois) and the local people—one of the most crucial collaborators. Through these groups’ combined efforts, the wildlife of the region has been well preserved, but modern infrastructure has also been allowed to develop with minimal effect on the natural surroundings.
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