The Wildlife Conservation Society and Gorillas WCS scientists have been studying gorillas in the Republic of Congo since the 1980s. WCS worked with the Congolese government in 1993 to establish Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. This intact forest ecosystem, free of human disturbance, harbors significant populations of gorillas and other large mammals. Throughout Central Africa, WCS works with governments, indigenous communities, and the private sector to establish management programs for gorillas and other wildlife. Developing effective law enforcement measures for protected species is key: Human activities represent the greatest threat to gorillas. They are endangered largely because of poaching for the bushmeat trade, habitat destruction due to logging, and health threats such as the Ebola virus. Our education and outreach efforts to reduce the bushmeat trade target both local and urban markets, and include developing alternative protein sources in larger logging towns. WCS-Africa and Field Veterinary Program staff monitor gorilla health to understand the transmission patterns of Ebola and other diseases, and are currently testing methods in the field to potentially control Ebola’s spread in great ape populations. Many of the gorillas counted in the recent census live outside existing protected areas, particularly in the Ntokou-Pikounda landscape. This mosaic of swamp forest, clearings, and mixed forests is also habitat for elephants, chimpanzees, crocodiles, and hippos, as well as rare and threatened birds such as crowned eagles and hornbills. The remoteness of the region—much of which lies beyond the current reach of bushmeat hunters—means that this “green abyss,” in the words of WCS conservationist Mike Fay, is still relatively undisturbed. The Republic of Congo has committed to creating a new national park to help safeguard its future. WCS field staff will work with the Congolese government to ensure the success of the new protected areas, just as we have helped to manage the country’s Lac Télé Community Reserve, Conkouati-Douli National Park, and Nouabalé Ndoki National Park. There, our scientists and educators are training the next generation of national park managers, biologists, and community conservationists. << Back