A world without okapi would be a very sad place.
Source: 11 amazing UNESCO World Heritage sites in danger of disappearing forever
Null and void? CoMiCo’s oil aspirations in DRC; Global Witness
An opaque Guernsey-owned company’s oil contract threatening Salonga National Park in Democratic Republic Congo could be null and void, according to our legal analysis.
Source: Null and void? CoMiCo’s oil aspirations in DRC | Global Witness
Aww: Man Comforts Gorilla Who Just Lost His Mom; Cyber Breeze
We all know that losing a parent can be one of the most tragic days of a person’s life. This photo that was taken by photographer Phil Moore shows us that that the feelings of loss and sadness that come with losing a mother aren’t limited to the human species. Read on to find out.
Not For Sale: Congo’s forests must be protected from the fossil fuels industry; Global Witness
DR of Congo – Salonga National Park
The largest protected tropical rainforest in Africa – Salonga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo – is at risk from oil exploration thanks to a secretive deal with an opaque company.
As we have previously revealed, the Democratic Republic of Congo government is attempting to reclassify swathes of two UNESCO protected World Heritage Sites – Salonga and Virunga National Parks – to allow oil exploration to take place. In our new investigation, we shine a light on the opaque ownership and secret deals of one company that potentially stands to gain from government attempts to open up the area to oil, COMICO, which was allocated an oil block that partially overlaps Salonga National Park.
We expose how individuals involved in the original deal to purchase these controversial oil rights include a politically connected individual, a convicted fraudster, a businessman embroiled in the Brazilian ‘Car Wash’ scandal and mysterious shell companies.
Moreover, the details of the contract remain unknown, in contravention of Congo’s own oil law.
Read more from source: Not For Sale: Congo’s forests must be protected from the fossil fuels industry | Global Witness
Congo defends right to explore for oil in national parks; Aaron Ross; Reuters
DR of Congo – Salonga National Park
Salonga park sits on peatlands that scientists say could release massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if disturbed
DAKAR, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Democratic Republic of Congo’s oil minister on Thursday defended the country’s right to explore for oil anywhere on its territory after media reports that President Joseph Kabila approved drilling in Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve.
Oil minister Aime Ngoy Mukena declined to confirm a report in Germany’s Die Tageszeitung newspaper that Kabila had this month authorised exploration inside Salonga National Park, but he said that no land should be off-limits.
Salonga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, covers 33,350 sq km of the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest. It is home to rare species including bonobos, forest elephants, dwarf chimpanzees and Congo peacocks.
The park in central Congo’s Cuvette Centrale also sits on peatlands that scientists say could release massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmsophere if disturbed.
Ngoy Mukena said the government was mindful of environmental considerations but was intent on developing its hydrocarbons sector.
Source: Congo defends right to explore for oil in national parks
‘Am I going to get out of here alive?’ In one of Africa’s most dangerous corners, a fight to the death for the elephants; Robyn Dixon; LA Times
DR of Congo – Garamba National Park
Garamba National Park in northeastern Congo is one of the most dangerous places to be a wildlife ranger and one of the most difficult places to save elephants from rampaging militias.
Kambale Mate huddled beneath a tangle of grass, looking up at bright stars in a moonless sky, a tumble of chaotic events cascading through his mind.
Where were the other wildlife rangers, Jean de Dieu Matongo and Joel Meriko Ari? Were they alive?
He had been a ranger for only five months at Garamba National Park, the last remaining preserve for disappearing populations of elephants and giraffes in this part of Africa. Yet here he was with two comrades, hiding like small, petrified mammals in the grass. If any of them moved, a large band of poachers nearby could find and kill them.
World Heritage Committee meeting shows challenges for the world’s treasured places, and reasons for hope; Susan Lieberman & Alfred DeGemmis; HuffPost
DR of Congo – Kahuzi-Biega National Park
The international community, including governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations, have spent 10 days at the annual meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee—the decision-making body of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention—in Krakow, Poland. We have been here for WCS, and it’s been both encouraging and disheartening. From the destruction of ancient ruins in areas of war and civil conflict, such as cultural sites in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to careless development in major urban areas, many of our planet’s World Heritage sites are well-known and received plenty of media attention – but some are not.
30 years of protecting the mysterious Okapi; Shreya Dasgupta; Mongabay
DR of Congo – Okapi Wildlife Reserve
On June 1, the Okapi Conservation Project celebrated its 30th Anniversary. Mongabay interviewed John Lukas, the project’s founder, to learn more about the successes and challenges of okapi conservation.
- The discovery of the elusive okapi, once believed to be a mythical unicorn, was one of the most exciting taxonomic findings of the twentieth century.
- To protect this shy, giraffe-like animal, wildlife conservationist John Lukas founded the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) in 1987.
- During the past three decades, the project team has seen both successes and challenges, from political unrest to a brutal rebel attack in 2012 that killed 6 people and 14 okapis.
The discovery of the elusive okapi, once believed to be a mythical unicorn, was one of the most exciting taxonomic findings of the twentieth century.
10 Amazing and Popular Tourist Attractions in Africa; Emeka Chigozie; Answers Africa
DR of Congo – Virunga National Park
5 of Africa’s best national parks; Olivia Yasukwa & Torera Idowu; CNN
DR of Congo – Virunga National Park
From sheltering some of the globe’s most endangered species to showcasing astonishing patterns of migration, Africa’s national parks are among the world’s most spectacular.
Ex-Child Soldier Wins Goldman Environmental Prize For Protecting Virunga Park And Its Gorillas; Sasha Ingber; NPR
DR of Congo – Virunga National Park
Rodrigue Katembo has quite a resume: child soldier, park ranger, undercover agent, friend of gorillas and elephants. And now, he is a Goldman Environmental Prize winner.
Getaway To Genesis: 10 Overlooked UNESCO World Heritage Sites To Visit; Brenda; Trip101
DR of Congo – Okapi Wildlife Reserve
When the term ‘UNESCO World Heritage Site’ comes to mind, we think of significant landmarks, such as a country’s most arresting attraction or an architectural or natural feat so amazing, international fame is only expected of it. However, around the globe lie many hidden treasures protected by this honour; and there are more of them unheard of than we think.
Explore the unknown side of Mother Nature and human history by visiting these UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all lesser heard-of and full of marvels just waiting to be uncovered.
1. Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada
Step into a land before time and learn the heritage of fauna in the Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Endangered Beauty in Virunga National Park; Barry Egan; To Travel Is To Live
DR of Congo – Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest and an UNESCO World Heritage Site, categorized as ‘endangered’. Originally founded by King Albert I of Belgium.
Visit and Experience these 6 Incredible Animals Before it’s Too Late; Carrie Pallardy; Lifestyle And Travel
Source: Visit and Experience these 6 Incredible Animals Before it’s Too Late
All About World Heritage Sites 