Gorilla Conservation in Kahuzi-Biega National Park

Since the 1950s, when George Schaller conducted the first systematic surveys in the area, WCS has been involved in gorilla conservation in DRC and the Albertine Rift region. Gorilla conservation in Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) in particular has been a challenge, as the Park has been severely affected during recent periods of armed conflict, with thousands of refugees from Rwanda camped on its borders in the mid 1990s. Due to financial and administrative constraints, the country has been unable to invest in its Park system. The unstable security situation, caused by the civil war, threatens the gorillas and other large mammals (elephants have been particularly hard hit) and their habitat. Despite these difficult conditions, WCS has not abandoned DRC, and continues to provide infrastructure support, training of staff, and bio-monitoring to help protect the eastern lowland gorillas and restore the integrity of Kahuzi-Biega National Park as a World Heritage Site.

The Human Aspect
KBNP is located in the South Kivu region, one of the most densely populated areas throughout Africa (> 300 people/km2). Years of armed conflict in the region have ravaged local communities, and have threatened their livelihoods. As a result, human pressure on the natural resources is higher than ever before. The presence of armed militia groups in and around the Park also serves not only to put further pressure on natural resources, but also to destabilize efforts to rehabilitate KBNP.

Threats
Extensive farming and cattle herding, in the sector that connects Kahuzi-Biega’s highlands to its lowland sector, pose serious threats to the Park’s wildlife and habitats. Mining for gold, coltan, and other minerals has drawn many people to Kahuzi-Biega, despite the presence of armed militias in the Park. Associated with the increase of human population in and around the protected area, illegal hunting and habitat destruction continue to increase the pressure on Kahuzi-Biega National Park’s natural resources. The Park is also threatened by the rapid spread of an invasive highland liana species (Sericostachys scandens), which causes the decline of local plant species important for the nutrition of gorillas.  

WCS Activities
• Assess and monitor the impacts of war on gorilla populations and habitats in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
• Collect baseline data on key mammals, habitats, and human activities, throughout KBNP.
• Develop capacity through training of National Park staff to improve park management.
• In collaboration with the WCS Field Vet Program and the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program, initiate testing and treatment of park staff who come in regular contact with gorillas for diseases that could possibly be spread from humans to apes.

Important Next Steps
• Conduct systematic surveys in the lowland sector of the park to collect detailed information on large mammals, gorilla habitats, and populations and how these have changed over time.
• Identify current major threats and their impacts on the biodiversity of the park.
• Monitor important botanical changes to gorilla habitat (focusing on invasive species such as Sericostachys scandens) and develop methods to control this problem.
• Develop procedures to update information in the baseline map for the park.
• Develop procedures for use and maintenance of pertinent KBNP database.
• Support law enforcement activities and monitoring of anti-poaching activities by park guards.
• Train park guards in methods to avoid transmission of disease to apes and to monitor gorilla health.