Okapi Conservation Project

Endangered with less than 10,000 individuals, the okapi is thought to survive in only a few forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has made the species its emblem. The natural and cultural heritage of the forest is under threat from a number of factors: habitat fragmentation, mineral and gemstone extraction, ethnic and political conflicts, poaching for ivory and hunting for bushmeat. As a collateral or direct victim, the okapi population is rapidly declining. The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was created in 1992 as a result of cooperation between the Congolese government and an American conservation center. With a surface area of 13,700 km², it is located in the heart of the species' main refuge: the Ituri forest. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the reserve is inhabited by 30,000 people and the Okapi population is estimated at 4,000 individuals. With a team of armed guards, OCP defends this reserve, its biodiversity and inhabitants, from poaching and conflict, and supports the villagers in development actions, including the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. The team also monitors the evolution of biodiversity using automatic video traps.