Conserving the Congo Basin: 35 Years of Field Work in Central Africa

Remote, little visited and challenging to access, Central Africa is home to a tremendous diversity of species under pressure from growing human populations. From Gabon to the Congo Basin, this region has been a focus for two WWF conservationists who have invested more than 20 years toward its protection. WWF Wildlife Africa experts Allard Blom and Bas Huijbregts will discuss their work in some of Africa’s most extraordinary wild realms. Allard was instrumental in establishing Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lopé National Park in Gabon. In Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic, he initiated a long-term sustainable funding strategy that includes a tri-national conservation trust fund and a successful gorilla habituation program, where tourists can visit elusive western lowland gorillas. In 1996, Bas began conducting surveys that would lead to the creation of Minkebe National Park in Gabon, home to the world’s densest population of forest elephants. After nearly two decades in the Congo Basin, Bas transitioned to his role as African Species Director for WWF’s Wildlife Conservation Program. Join Allard and Bas to learn about their challenges and triumphs in these critical wildlife habitats.


Originally presented September 16, 2020