In February, I got an insight into the fight against poaching in the Congo DRC. Together with fellow cameraman Jim Foster and reporter Sam Kiley, I followed Conrad Thorpe an ex SBS colonel of the British Army who trained Congolese park rangers in anti-poaching tactics.
(click the picture to see a QuickTime video clip)
In the 90s Congo’s various wildlife reserves got severely ravaged by several years of civil war and the invasion of refugees from Rwanda. Many endangered animals got decimated and large parts of the forest were destroyed by illegal settlers. Only a hand full of mountain gorillas and a few rhinos are surviving. They represent a world heritage and it should be in everyone’s interest to protect them and look after their natural habitat.
Unfortunately, many communities in the Congo disintegrated during the war and most people are struggling for survival and cannot afford to care for wildlife. They clearly do not have enough resources and political will to preserve their national parks.
Other African countries like Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania are much more effective in protecting their wildlife because they reap the benefits of tourism. The wars in Congo DRC have put an end to tourism and, at the moment, wildlife protection needs to be funded internationally. However, in the long term it is essential to encourage the development of a stable political system and the regeneration of healthy local communities, which will be able to care themselves for wildlife reserves.
Sunday, 19 March 2006
