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Okapi
Posted on September 11, 2008
I’m Thierry – monitoring officer for ZSL’s conservation project in Virunga National Park, eastern DRC.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) started the okapi project (funded by the EU) two months ago in the Watalinga (or Semliki) forest of northern Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Luckily for our team, the northern sector of the park is the most accessible in terms of security and access to the park’s northern forest due to the rehabilitation of a road passing through it to connect with Uganda to the east.
The Watalinga forest is where okapis were ‘rediscovered’ in 2006, when WWF and then by WCS in 2007, recorded evidence of their presence during surveys – having not been documented in Virunga National Park for nearly 50 years. However, when we talked to local people, very few of them said they had seen them in the wild.
With Stuart, who is overseeing the okapi project, we trained the group of 9 Congolese wildlife authority (ICCN) rangers who are based at the two patrol posts in the Watalinga forest on how to use camera traps, and helped them to set up the camera trapping survey. We also carried out interviews with the communities around the park to find out what the local population thinks of the okapis, if they still exist and where, how many are left and if they are hunted for bushmeat.
Okapi are the shyest animals you can imagine – which is why after two weeks of work placing the cameras in the forest, we just saw droppings and other signs of their presence, but never actually saw them. So we are so happy that now we have managed to catch them on camera!
We used highly sophisticated camera traps to capture good quality colour images of these fascinating mammals, which are most closely related to giraffes, and only exist in DRC.
Have a look at the photo album slide show so far. These are the results of only two weeks of having the camera traps in place, so come back in a couple of weeks to see if there are new and even more exciting photos of okapis and other animals!
Leave a comment below.
1 S. Williams // Sep 11, 2008 at 10:50 pm
The San Antonio Zoo in Texas has a nice Okapi exhibit. And they are the least bit shy.
2 Barry // Sep 12, 2008 at 6:54 am
Thierry, the press in Australia yesterday implied that these are the first photos ever of an okapi in the wild. I assume however, the claim is that these are the first photos from your Virunga project and not in general, as I have a photograph of an okapi from a late 1940s publication that is claimed to be the first taken of this unique animal. If you would like more details regarding the publication I can email them.
3 Lucy // Sep 12, 2008 at 9:47 am
I’m extremely proud of Thierry and Stuart who have been working really hard and walking for days in the forests to get these pictures! The Congolese wildlife authority rangers have been fantastic and are very excited about the pictures too.
It seems the world is as enthusiastic as we are about the pictures… there are more to come so stay tuned…
Lucy (ZSL DRC project manager)
4 amir // Sep 12, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hey Thierry!
A new blogger is born! Great news this project is launched for good now.
A bientôt!
a.
5 Bruno Hugel // Sep 12, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Congratulation Thierry (and the rest of the team!)
All Conservation organisations around Virunga NP hope for more data on the Okapis in the Park.
Keep up with the good work!
Bruno (WWF)
6 Samantha N // Sep 12, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Congratulations Thierry & ZSL on the great work.
7 Bart // Sep 12, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I doubt that this is the first photo of an Okapi in the wild. I was at the Los Angeles County Zoo last year. They have had an Okapi exhibited for years. It had to come from the “wild” some time ago. Do your research before making such claims.
8 Nikki // Sep 13, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Please will you send me Thierry’s e-mail and contacts. I’m a South African film producer and would be grateful to have the opportunity to speak to ZSL’s field monitors. I’m also trying to get hold of Dr Noelle Kumpel, ZSL Bushmeat and forests Conservation Programme. Many thanks
Nikki
9 cathyA // Sep 15, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Hello from Alaska. Keep up the great work.
10 nina // Sep 27, 2008 at 5:18 pm
nice photos!
i adore okapis i have adopted the ones at london zoo!
U guys are doing a fantastic job , well done!