In Itombwe Mountains, local communities live in relatively dramatic socio-economic conditions. With up to 80% of local people living on less than $2 a day, poverty is more widespread in Itombwe than in most other parts of Democratic Republic of Congo. The majority of households in Itombwe rely on hunting, …
Decades of deforestation have drastically degraded the dense tropical rainforests and old-growth forests alongside the buffer zone of Itombwe nature reserve, leaving behind a landscape dominated by shrub-lands, grasslands, and small and sparse remnants open tree land with less tree cover. IGH plants trees and restore deforested land and degraded …
Local communities have limited knowledge and awareness of globally threatened species that call Itombwe Mountains their home. In addition, local communities do not know how they can help to save these species from extinction. That is one of the most critical issues exacerbating loss of wildlife and forest in Itombwe …
The Itombwe Mountains hosts two species of great ape: the Eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and the Grauer’s gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). Since its inception in 2014, IGH is conducting an ongoing community monitoring scheme of chimpanzees and gorillas in Itombwe to ensure their survival and gradually increase their population …
Community Patrol Teams to protect wildlife and their forest habitats from human threats
by Igh
written by Igh
The Itombwe Mountains in the East of the DR Congo is one of the most important sites in Africa for biodiversity conservation. This area contains numerous gigantic trees and threatened wildlife species that are unique, notably chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) and many other threatened animal …