Gorilla Conservation
In 2008, a colony of 125,000 western lowland gorillas was discovered in the north of Congo- Brazzaville, shining an international spotlight on the country. The newly-found gorilla population is an indication that conservation efforts by the Congolese government are succeeding and can be used as an example for the rest of the world.
Despite the hardships Congo faces, it has maintained a commitment to conserving the environment and its wildlife.
Dr. Steven Sanderson, Wildlife Conservation Society President, says, “For the last 17 years we have been working with the government of the Republic of Congo to ensure conservation in the northern part of the country and that seems to be working. But the credit and the joy should be in the government of the Congo and among the citizens of Congo because they’ve really committed to this even in light of a lot of other pressing demands.”
The Republic of Congo has been working for over 20 years to create more national parks like the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and the Lac Tele Community Reserve, home to chimpanzees, elephants, buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, and bongos, in addition to gorillas. To date, approximately 16 percent of Congo’s land area is under some form of protection and since the discovery of the lowland gorillas, the Congolese government has committed to create a new national park in the Ntokou-Pikounda region.
In addition to animal conservation efforts, Congo is party to a number of environmental treaties including those on biodiversity, climate change, desertification, hazardous wastes, marine dumping, ozone layer protection, and wetlands conservation.