Congo expands national park to protect great apes

The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park is a lush rainforest park within the equatorial nation of the Republic of Congo (ROC), not to be confused with the much larger Democratic Republic of Congo to the south and east. The ROC has followed through on its commitments to expand the park by 8 percent, from about 1,500 square miles to about 1,630 square miles. The newly included area holds a unique ecosystem known as the Goualougo Triangle. The Goualougo is a very dense, swampy forest that is home to a nearly pristine and untouched great ape population that was first discovered in 1989 by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists. The decision is being lauded by the WCS: "We commend the Republic of Congo for finalizing this critical process to extend the borders of Nouabalé-Ndoki to include the Goualougo Triangle, one of the great wonders of Africa," said WCS President and CEO Steve Sanderson. "In a world of human use, this extraordinary forest is a reminder of Eden, an untouched gem teeming with chimpanzees, gorillas, and forest elephants. It is the definition of wild nature and must be protected." This unique piece of jungle can be essentially considered the heart of Africa. It is the type of area that comes to mind when thinking of wild places within the Sub-Saharan part of the continent. The recent move will help protect it from poachers which are encroaching on this land. To achieve the expansion of the park, concessions had to be made by the local timber company, Congolais Industrielle des Bois (CIB). The WCS was also part of the discussions to expand the park. An effective buffer zone was created surrounding the park, as the CIB gave up its legal right to harvest timber from the Goualougo Triangle. The native chimpanzee population, which are considered "naïve" due to their inexperience dealing with humans, are thus protected. Their curiosity of people would have led to their downfall. The only way to save them was to keep them separated from human contact. Studies of the area's chimpanzee and great ape populations were conducted by WCS conservationists Dave Morgan of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Crickette Sanz of Washington University. They have discovered incredible things about how the apes live, the tools they use, their behavior, and how they interact. Their work is a part of the Goualougo Triangle Great Ape Project.