The Congo Lion

[Matias]

Thanks, Pckts.

Great photos and information.

We see lots of information about Queen Elizabeth Park, Murchison Falls and when it comes to the lion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo area I do not see anything current (last 5 years). I am following the work of the NGO AFRICAN PARKS and its current 10 protected parks / protected areas, including the Chinko Project in CAR (a very interesting area, a biome of 1,700,000 hectares, and the serious problem of armed herding, rebel groups, Hunting meat, an unstable government, a great challenge). I realize that the lion numbers in Garamba are very small, and protecting them in their anonymity without giving any clue about their numbers or location in the park can be a strategy to give them more chance of not being located by poaching. The presence of militias and rebel groups makes Garamba a very dangerous place. I remember reading about the attack suffered by Mr. Eric Mararv where, I'm not sure, two guards were killed. It is a disaster that lions have disappeared from the Odzala / Kokoua biome in neighboring Republic of Congo. We must celebrate the full success of Zakouma National Park: when the government really supports, provides the appropriate subsidies for its conservation success is inevitable, and the know-how of NGO African Parks is increasingly recognized.

 It is always a relief to know that lions are still present in Garamba, Virunga and in the now newly created (I did not know this area) Kabobo / Ngandja Nature Reserve. Reply