Conserv Congo News Today

LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of the Congo — On Dec. 2, Togolese authorities intercepted 38 monkeys at the airport. They were being sent from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to Thailand and included at least two species classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Thirty of these animals had not been […]

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) protects nearly 14,000 square kilometers (5,405 square miles) of tropical rainforest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s home to a treasure trove of wildlife: one-fifth of the global population of okapi (Okapia johnstoni); the DRC’s largest populations of forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) […]

Ivory and other wild contraband seized by authorities is being returned to the black market in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Congo Basin contains the world’s second-largest rainforest at a staggering 178 million hectares (just under 440 million acres). It is also one of the biggest carbon sinks on the planet, containing 29 billion metric tons of carbon in its vast peatlands under the rich forest. One of the basin’s key countries, the Democratic Republic […]

In a country where wildlife trafficking already runs rampant, conservationists fear that ransoming of animals may become a common tactic used by criminals.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have seized 2 metric tons of ivory in the city of Lubumbashi, a hub for ivory trafficking. The May 14 seizure is one of the largest in recent years, according to Adams Cassinga, who heads Conserv Congo, an NGO that fights wildlife trafficking and which took part in […]

This February, Nigeria’s Customs Service intercepted 840 kg of pangolin scales and 145 kg of ivory on its way to Asia, near the country’s main port in Lagos. Pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Under CITES, the global wildlife treaty, trade in all eight pangolin species is banned, barring exceptional […]

The incident has sparked fear that others will follow their example and try to use endangered species to get what they want through ransom and bargaining.

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have kidnapped a pangolin and are demanding ransom payment in order to release it. Reports indicate that the

For the Congo Basin, 2021 proved to be an up-and-down year. Funding commitments totaling in the billions of dollars were announced that would help forested countries preserve some of the highest-quality tropical rainforest left on the planet. And research into the world’s largest tropical peatland, which is found in the Congo Basin, continues to expand […]