U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Republic of Congo The Congo’s northern forests are a stronghold for the critically endangered lowland gorilla and endangered forest elephant.

Left: An elephant walks through a forest clearing in Congo. Credit: Richard Ruggiero/USFWS. Right: Confiscation of ivory artifacts and jewelry in Congo.Credit: PALF.

The Republic of the highest known densities in the bushmeat with status and culture. Congo’s dense world of the critically endangered Representing the single greatest equatorial forests western lowland gorilla, and large threat to the majority of animals in represent the populations of the endangered forest forests throughout Central Africa, second largest elephant and the near threatened the hunting and trade of bushmeat is contiguous tropical bongo. Congo’s coastal waters provide often especially pronounced around forest block in the important habitat to ocean giants such logging concessions and other work world after the Amazon. The Congo as whales, dolphins and marine turtles. camps, where new roads provide Basin’s forests are of global importance access into previously remote forests. for the magnificent biodiversity it Current Threats to Biodiversity in In the absence of adequate laws and shelters. It also sequesters and stores the Republic of Congo law enforcement, these new roads carbon and serves as a buffer against facilitate hunting and market access. global climate change. There are nearly Elephant poaching In addition to mortality from poaching, 4.6 million people living in the Republic Poaching for ivory is now the number the hunting and trade of bushmeat of Congo, and 70% of the population one driver behind elephant declines is a major cause of disease transfer resides in Brazzaville and Point-Noire in Africa. Central Africa is being between wildlife and humans. Ebola or along the railroads that connect increasingly targeted in recent years. outbreaks in Central Africa killed up to these two cities. Since the majority of Forest elephant ivory is of high quality, 95% of the individuals in some western population lives in urban areas, the and poachers are able to remain lowland gorilla populations, including in Republic of Congo still enjoys pristine undetected in the dense forests. The Odzala National Park in the Republic of equatorial forests. These forests problem is exacerbated by lack of law Congo. connect to important wildlife habitat in enforcement coupled with corruption Gabon and through the Sangha River and underlying poverty that remains Extractive industries and Oil Palm Trinational protected area - the first a major problem in the region. With Oil palm plantations and extractive three-country transboundary area to increasing demand for ivory, in industries – including logging, mining, become a World Heritage Site - to particular from China’s rising middle and oil exploration threaten Congo’s biodiverse areas in Cameroon and the class, these factors led to a decline of wildlife directly by destroying and Central African Republic. Congo is more than 60% of forest elephants in degrading habitat, and indirectly by home to nearly 400 mammal species, Central Africa between 2002 and 2011. establishing road access and attracting 1,000 bird species, and approximately new human settlements with their 10,000 plant species, of which 3,000 are Commercial bushmeat trade associated agriculture, protein and endemic, meaning that they do not The commercial bushmeat trade is income needs. This indirect impact in exist anywhere else in the world. exacerbated by urban consumers particular presents a major threat to Congo’s remote northern forests hold who associate the consumption of wildlife in most Central African forests. Since 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has supported conservation in the Republic of Congo through the administration of 79 grants, totaling more than $7.1 million and leveraged by more than $4.8 million in additional public and private sector funds.

Sangha River Trinational in close collaboration with the Congolese The Sangha River Trinational, or Tri- Government, the Wildlife Conservation National de la Sangha (TNS) is comprised Society and the Aspinall Foundation, of three contiguous national parks: Lobéké PALF strives to improve investigations, National Park in Cameroon, Nouabalé- operations, all legal aspects of prosecutions Ndoki National Park in Congo and and sentencing, media and outreach, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central management to address crimes against African Republic. One of the largest wildlife in the Republic of Congo. USFWS blocks of pristine tropical lowland forest began supporting PALF financially in 2013, in the world, TNS contains a multitude of awarding a total of $49,610, which was threatened species. Investing more than leveraged by $96,766. $6.8 million, leveraged by more than $7.6 million, USFWS has supported great ape Lac Tele Landscape habituation for ecotourism, Ebola virus Since 2002, USFWS has funded WCS to disease monitoring, community awareness- conserve great apes and forest elephants raising, and monitoring elephants in “bais”, in the Lac Tele landscape, awarding a total or forest openings. More recently, USFWS of $727,273, and leveraged by $534,426 in signed a 5-year, $10 million cooperative matching funds. Located in northeastern agreement with the African Parks Congo, the Lac Tele landscape contains Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation one of the largest populations of western Society, and the World Wildlife Fund. lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees in the world. Lac Tele and its adjoining Above: A chimpanzee in the Goualougo Conkouati-Douli National Park reserve in the Democratic Republic of Triangle in Sangha River Trinational. Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP) is Congo, Lac Tumba, together encompass the Credit: Ian Nichols/National Geographic located on the west coast of the Republic largest wetland in Africa. WCS increases of Congo. Since established in 1999, CDNP patrols and monitoring of Lac Tele to is managed jointly by Congo’s Ministry of deter poaching within the landscape, and Congo for over a decade, awarding a total of Durable Development, Forest Economy, engages in environmental education to $705,000, which was leveraged by $672,220 and Environment and the Wildlife garner community involvement in Lac Tele in matching funds. This project is helping to Conservation Society (WCS). CDNP not conservation and management. conserve chimpanzees and gorillas through only harbors forest elephants and great practical conservation research, increased apes, but also provides critical nesting Ebola Virus Disease Monitoring protection of important ape populations and beaches for marine turtles. Since 2004, Since 2006, USFWS has been supporting their habitats, and increased protection USFWS supported conservation efforts in efforts to monitor Ebola virus disease of important ape populations and their CDNP by awarding more than $860,000 to in Sangha Trinational landscape, which habitats. WCS, leveraged by $435,876 in matching includes Nouabale-Ndoki National Park funds, to enhance law enforcement and in the Republic of Congo, awarding community outreach efforts to increase the WCS $490,000, which was leveraged protection of great apes, forest elephants, by an additional $413,000. Having and marine turtles in CDNP. successfully established a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program to monitor and Project for the Application of Law for Fauna protect great apes against diseases such as (PALF) Ebola virus disease, this project engages In 2008, the Project for the Application of local professionals at all levels. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Law for Fauna (PALF) was launched in the International Affairs Republic of Congo as the first replicate of Goualougo Triangle Ape Project (GTAP) Division of International Conservation the successful Last Great Ape Organization USFWS has supported WCS’s conservation 5275 Leesburg Pike MS: IA (LAGA) law wildlife enforcement model work in the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project Falls Church, VA 22041 based in Cameroon. Working in-country of the Sangha Trinational landscape in the 703-358-1754 703-358-2115/fax [email protected] USFWS Support to the Republic of Congo, FY2006-FY2013 http://www.fws.gov/international twitter.com/USFWSInternatl Grants Awarded 79 Facebook: USFWSinternationalaffairs Amount Awarded $7,117,104 September 2014 Amount Leveraged $4,833,559 Total Investment $11,950,663