Field Report: July 2016

ICCN Ranger Burning a Mining Camp

Impressive efforts from the ICCN rangers and Congolese soldiers to reduce the threats from rogue militias and gangs of poachers over the last six months has started to produce results. Reports from OCP staff confirm that security is holding, and the region around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is safe with very few incidents of violence. Taking advantage of the opportunity to travel by road in DRC, Rosie Ruf and I met in Nairobi, picked up 3 satellite phones we ordered for ICCN ranger patrols, flew to Uganda and then to DRC. I was carrying 5 camera traps, parts for our welder, rechargeable batteries, computers and cameras all of which usually excite the custom officers in Bunia (and in the US) looking for a reason to examine the worrisome looking items which may require a payment to be released. Rosie and I had done this many times before, and with a few distracting questions and congenial conversations, we were able to get waved out of the office without any problems. We then met our staff outside the UN protected airfield, loaded up our bags, picked up some dried fish in downtown Bunia and drove 6 hours over rutted roads to reach Epulu in time for dinner and a cold Primus (the beer of the Congo).  Read more here…