Important Meetings in the DR Congo Bring Local Leaders and International Supporters Together

Two very important meetings for the continued support and protection of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and the surrounding communities were convened this May in the DR Congo. The first Okapi Conservation Strategy Workshop was hosted by the Zoological Society of London, IUCN SSC, and ICCN on May 22-25, 2013.  This meeting brought together ICCN representatives from all the sites where Okapi are found along with personnel from IUCN, ZSL, OCP, WCS, independent scientists and government representatives.

The second meeting was a major workshop held in Mambasa, DRC on May 11, 2013 bringing together over 200 government and military leaders, ICCN staff, customary chiefs, NGO representatives, and concerned citizens in an effort to develop a mechanism to reduce threats and conflict inside the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and in the villages situated in around the Reserve.  Read more about the meeting here.