Introduction to the Garamba National Park, DR Congo

The Northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) used to be relatively widespread in central and East Africa (mainly in Uganda, Sudan, Zaire-Congo and the Central African Republic) with more than 2,000 individuals reported in the 1960s. Then came a dramatic decline in numbers due to over-hunting: in 1970 the population fell to 700; 10 years later, only 100 animals survived. In 1984, the 13 last individuals were identified in Garamba National Park in Zaire – today’s Democratic Republic of Congo. Thanks to the intensive international efforts, conducted primarily by the Zoological Society of Frankfurt and the International Rhino Foundation, these animals reproduced successfully and after 10 years; intensive work, they numbered over 30.

These animals survived relatively well even throughout the series of civil war outbreaks in the late 1990s and at the turn of the Millennium. Unfortunately, all the tremendous efforts for survival of this subspecies were defeated when, in April 2004, poachers invaded Garamba from Sudan and started exterminating rhinos. The situation deteriorated so dramatically that all conservative efforts had to be terminated in March 2005.

News from the African Parks Foundation (March 2006)
"In September 2005, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN, which is the official Congolese authority in charge of protected areas), recognising the critical situation of Garamba, a world heritage site in danger, took the courageous decision to sign a management contract with the African Parks Foundation (APF), whereby the Government of DRC gives APF the mandate to rehabilitate and manage Garamba NP and its three surrounding game hunting reserves for the next five years. This contract follows the principles of a public-private partnership.

"In November 2005, APF started deploying its management team and implementing its contract. APF has committed more than one million euros for the kick-off phase. The Government of Italy, through its embassy in Kinshasa, is also ready to assist the park and give a significant contribution to the emergency action plan and to community conservation. We are also negotiating significant grants with a number of established donor agencies, such as the EU, the World Bank and the German Bank for Reconstruction

"In just a few months, we have achieved the following:

• Restructuring of the departments and services of the park
• Recruitment of new senior and support staff: park director, anti-poaching coordinator, pilot, logistician, doctor, chief mechanic
• Deployment and supervision of a force of 50 rangers to secure and monitor the rhino sector
• Regular payment of all park staff (about 200 people)
• Massive support in equipment: Cessna 182 airplane, lorry, 5 land-cruiser, uniforms, radio equipment, patrol and camping equipment, office equipment
• Development of an intelligence and information network
• Re-opening of 150 km of roads inside the park
• Starting of the rehabilitation of park infrastructures
• Rehabilitation of the Nagero health center
• Signature of a MOU between the park and the traditional authorities bordering the park
• Anti-poaching fund made available to the local communities
• Beginning of a community conservation programme in collaboration with Fauna and Flora International.

"We are about to start a campaign of intensive ground and aerial surveys, in collaboration with the African Rhino Specialist Group of IUCN. After the surveys, the park will host a high-level monitoring mission consisting of UNESCO and IUCN experts. The conservation status of Garamba NP will be reviewed and conservation strategies will be discussed. This will pave the way for a long-term plan aiming at rescuing, rehabilitating and developing the park and its surrounding game reserves."

Dr Jose Kalpers
Programme Manager, Francophone Africa
African Parks Foundation