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afrol News, 3 Ocober - Congo Kinshasa (DRC) is home to more species of great apes than any other country in the world, with two of them (Grauer's gorilla and the Pygmy chimpanzee or bonobo) found nowhere else. However, civil conflict and political instability until now have left the Congolese national parks network in a state of dereliction. Gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos receive little protection across most of the country and remain under constant threat from hunting and habitat destruction, the conservation group WWF reports. As a result, many biologists fear great apes may become extinct in Congo, and indeed the rest of Africa, within the next 20 years. - But hope is in sight, WWF reports. From 26-28 September, nearly 200 experts from all parts of the country joined international conservationists and government Ministers in Kinshasa to prepare the first National Great Apes Survival Plan for the Congo. Recognising that conservation is apolitical, the three-day workshop concluded that global interest in saving gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos from extinction could play an important role in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country. Many of the national parks providing refuge for great apes are located in the rebel-held north-east of the country, yet this extraordinary gathering brought together conservationists and biologists from all over the country, representing one of the first truly nationwide meetings to be held in the Congo since the war started. After hearing reports from the field and the results of recent studies, the participants worked to define priority actions to save the great apes from extinction. Key recommendations from the workshop include the need: to survey little-known areas to establish which apes survive where; to rehabilitate national parks that are key refuges for great apes (e.g. Maiko, Kahuzi-Biega); and to strengthen existing laws protecting great apes. There was also a plea from participants to ensure that development schemes are implemented for local communities living around great ape habitats. The workshop in Kinshasa was organised by the Central Africa Regional Programme for the Environment (a USAID-funded initiative) and held under the auspices of the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Project. Several non-governmental organisations, including WWF and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, helped finance the workshop. "However, much work now remains to be done," WWF comments. - In many ways, planning is the easy part, said Dr Peter J. Stephenson, of WWF International's Africa Programme. "The challenge now is to find the resources to implement the workshop's recommendations and to put in place projects on the ground that provide direct support for ape conservation." - The new WWF African Great Apes Programme helped fund the meeting in Kinshasa, and now we will work with Congolese authorities to find ways to implement their great apes survival plan, said Dr Stephenson. "To that end, we hope to start new field projects shortly and to do our best to help ensure there is a future for gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos in this remarkable country," he added. Sources: Based on WWF and afrol archives
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