The Okapi Wildlife Reserve

“THE GREATEST MARVELS OF AFRICA”

— Sir Henry Morton Stanley

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arguably the most biologically diverse country in Africa, holds infinite natural treasures and significant species such as gorillas, elephants, and bonobos. Over 1,500 types of plants and animals, including the okapi, are only found in DRC. The country has an expansive network of Protected Areas which depend on partnerships with national and international conservation organizations to source the funds and expertise to help the government manage their parks and reserves that harbor incredible biodiversity that benefits so many people.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR), was established in 1992 and listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996, to protect the habitat of the okapi and preserve rare plant and animal life, as well as the lifestyle and culture of the indigenous Mbuti and Efe people. The Reserve encompasses 13,700 square kilometers (1.5 times the area of Yellowstone National Park) of the Ituri Forest – one of the most important centers of plant and animal diversity in all of Africa.

The largest population of okapi and chimpanzees in DRC, along with forest elephant, leopard, forest buffalo, bongo antelope, water chevrotain, 16 other species of primates, and an incredible diversity of plants, birds and insects, are among the wildlife sheltered in the Reserve.

The Ituri Forest is also the cultural center of the indigenous Mbuti and Efe people, among the last true “forest people” left on Earth. They are true hunter-gatherers and deep forest-dwellers living traditional lifestyles as they have for millennia.  Through trade and association with neighboring cultivation communities like the Bantu, their activities generally enrich the overall composition of the forest by providing pockets of secondary vegetation a source of plants on which the okapi feed.

The Okapi Conservation Project’s presence in the region and its role as a coordinator and supporter of the Reserve has helped to provide stability for the Mbuti and Efe people by providing a forum for their voices on radio and in celebrations. OCP staff provide emergency support for health care and nutritional crises as we look for longer term solutions that value and respect the contribution the Mbuti and Efe can make to the management of the Reserve.

The Epulu Station, in its namesake northeastern DRC village, is headquarters for the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and the base of operations for OCP personnel. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is governed through a 10-year co-management agreement between Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the ICCN. The management of the OWR is delegated to WCS as the Director of the Reserve Management Unit. OCP is a partner of the OWR and operates its okapi conservation programs through a collaboration agreement with WCS and a Contract of Collaboration with ICCN.