Report from the Field

Loading the bags into a Cessna 206 in Bunia for a flight to Epulu with Assistant Warden Bogi on my left and two ICCN rangers on my right.

By John Lukas

Before leaving for DRC in May, my spare room was overflowing with gear for the rangers in Epulu as I tried to safely pack it in as few bags as possible for the many plane transfers I would have to negotiate by myself. After eight flights, seven security checks and a total of 62 hours of travel time, I arrived in Epulu on May 28th with seven 50-pound bags of much-needed equipment for the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) to support protection of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR).

The 306 pounds of equipment was handed over to ICCN in front of a large group of rangers who were very appreciative of the equipment, which will improve their capacity to properly protect the OWR and monitor key wildlife species. The rangers had fun unpacking all the gear and setting up tents and trying out the binoculars and cameras. Taking advantage of ICCN facilitating our way through customs without a hassle, we were able to bring in ten new camera traps and new GPSs to geo-locate camera traps left in the forest for long intervals. OCP now has enough camera traps on site to set up two ‘Team Okapis’.  Click here to read more.