The Okapi Wildlife Reserve () is a wildlife reserve in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, it covers approximately one-fifth of the area of the forest. In 1996, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its large population of endangered okapis and its high overall biodiversity. The reserve is currently <sup>(March 2026)</sup> occupied and seriously threatened by the presence of Islamist terrorists from the Allied Democratic Forces who in 2025 killed more than 1700 civilians in the wider region of northeast Congo.

Ecology

The wildlife reserve makes up roughly one-fifth of the total area of the Ituri Forest. As a Pleistocene refugium, the forest contains dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dominated by Mbau trees (Gilbertiodendron dewevrei).

Other mammals identified within the reserve include the leopard, forest buffalo, water chevrotain, bongo, Bates's pygmy antelope, and giant forest hog. Many of the bird species found in the reserve are endemic to the Congo Basin, including the endangered Congo peafowl. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger in 1997. Threats include the deforestation caused by slash and burn agriculture, and commercial hunting for the sale of bushmeat. Gold mining has also been problematic. As of 2005, the fighting in the eastern part of the country entered the reserve, causing its staff to flee or be evacuated. Lack of funding due to the poor political and economic conditions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also been problematic. It is hoped that eco-tourism to the area can be developed, leading to both increased funding and improved public awareness.

Conservation

The wildlife reserve is home to the Epulu Conservation and Research Center on the Epulu River. This facility dates back to 1928 when the camp was founded by American anthropologist Patrick Putnam as a capture station, where wild okapis were captured before being sent to American and European zoos. Until 2012 it remained a capture station, though it no longer exports okapis. In 2012 a rebel attack killed the facility's captive okapis. Consequently, it chose to prioritize focus exclusively on preserving the wild okapis in the reserve, pending the cessation of hostilities.

A June 2021 report from the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo raised concerns about the presence of semi-industrialized dredging operations within the reserve, operating 12 kilometers south of Bandegaido. Mining took place within the Muchacha Ming Complex (MMC) which held a permit from the official DRC Mining Cadastre, held by the Chinese businessman Kong Maohuai's MCC Resources. The company Kimia Mining Investment Sarl was operating at the mine. Mining is illegal in the reserve, and FARDC troops were guarding the mining site illegally.

Later that month, Congolese authorities announced the seizure of 31&nbsp;kg of gold (about $1.9 million) from this Muchaha mine. As of 2022, non-governmental organizations such as the Council for Environmental Defense through Legality and Traceability (CODELT) and Alerte Congolaise pour l'Environnement et les Droits de l'Homme (ACEDH) blame mining operations for destroying pristine rainforest within the reserve.

Rebel attacks

thumb|[[Okapi]]

On 24 June 2012, the Epulu Conservation and Research Center was attacked, looted and burned by a group of Mai-Mai rebels, led by Paul Sadala (AKA Morgan) consisting of elephant poachers and illegal miners. During the attack, 13 of 14 okapis at the center were killed immediately, the last later dying of its injuries. Six people, including two wildlife rangers, were also killed. In early August, the security situation had improved due to Congolese army troops and guards from the Congolese Wildlife Authority, and preparations for repairs of the center had begun. Using donations from around the world, it was rebuilt one year after the attack. Several attackers were also killed.

See also

  • Centre National d'Appui au Développement et à la Participation populaire
  • Corneille Ewango
  • Okapi Conservation Project

References

Further reading

  • Susan Lyndaker Lindsey; Mary Neel Green; Cynthia L. Bennett (1999). The Okapi. University of Texas Press.
  • Government website: l'Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
  • UNESCO Okapi Wildlife Reserve Site
  • UNEP-WCMC world Heritage site datasheet
  • Blogs from the Rangers of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve
  • Gilman International Conservation