TEAM MEMBERS:
1. Benjamin
Wilondja
2. Sébastien
Mupenda
PARTNER(S) & SUPPORTER(S):
Rufford Foundation
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
(max. 300 words)Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the dangerous and
difficult one as species have been decreasing throught the time due to ongoing
armed conflit that have depleted most protected areas. Traditional and armed
hunting, clearing of suitable habitats for wildife and conversion of land for
agriculture and pasture are among key threats to large mammals, especially
hippopotamus. DRC along with Uganda were known to harbour major hippo
population of the continene. With ongoing armed conflic and poaching, the
number of hippo has been decreasing, especially in DRC. For example, hippo
numbers have crushed in Virunga from about 30,000 to 2,400 individuals. The
status of other populations is unkown for most of protected areas and rivers.
This project aims at mapping hippo population in the eastern DRC and protecting
existing on outside of Virunga NP.
Therefore, this project targets Luama river in
the south east of DRC where hippos are reported but neither their numbers and
distribution are known. Little has been done to support rangers in the upper
zone of Luama but this needs to be strengthen.
This project will support prospection of hippo
populations along Luama River and support ranger patrols along thr river. It
will update distribution of hippos and their estimated numbers
Progress in 2020
The Luama Landscape Hippo project has been
facing problems related not only to the COVID-19 but essentially the
insecurity. The area has been under Mai-Mai control for more than a year
preventing rangers from conducting patrols. However, the recent visit by rangers
reported the persistence of Hippo on Luama River.