Okapi Wildlife Reserve Essay Sample free essay sample

Abstraction The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was given its functionary protected position in 1992 and covers 8. 500 square stat mis of the Ituri rainforest’s 175. 000 square kilometres in the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Okapi Wildlife Reserve Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The sarcasm is that despite a troubled history marred with civil and tribal agitation. the part is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the African continent. The Ituri consists of lowland tropical woods every bit good as canopied rain forests that harbor an array of vegetations and zoologies found nowhere else. It is besides the place of the legendary Okapia johnstoni which has become the national and moral symbol of non merely the modesty. But salvaging the Okapia johnstoni is non a individual end ; salvaging it means salvaging 1000s of other species as good. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was given its functionary protected position in 1992 and covers 8. 500 square stat mis of the Ituri rainforest’s 175. 000 square kilometres in the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . The sarcasm is that despite a troubled history marred with civil and tribal agitation. the part is considered one of the most biologically diverse countries in the African continent. The Ituri consists of lowland tropical woods every bit good as canopied rain forests that harbor an array of vegetations and zoologies found nowhere else ( Jenike. 1995 ) . The Reserve itself has in its protection such familiar rain forest species as Pan troglodytess. elephants. hornbills and about several species of monkeys. But its most outstanding if non elusive occupant is the Okapia johnstoni or theOkapia johnstoni; the lone life relation of the camelopard and sometimes called the forest camelopard. Physically. the Okapia johnstoni is a unusual if non absorbing animal. With chevrons similar to a zebra’s with unusual colouring and markers. it is a diffident and soft animate being which uses its camouflage-like coat to evade gaining control by marauders. It is so elusive and of course quiet that even the native folk of the Congo seldom brush or see one ( GIC. 2002 ) . Because of this rareness and gradualness amid a landscape encroached upon and endangered by assorted elements. oftentimes violent. the Okapia johnstoni has become the national symbol of preservation attempts in the Congo part. Under the flagship enterprise of Gilman International. their Okapi Conservation Project aims to do people around the universe aware that salvaging the Okapia johnstoni and its home ground does non merely intend salvaging one animal ; protecting and continuing the home ground besides means procuring the endurance and saving of 1000000s of other rainforest species of workss and animate beings ( ACF. 2002 ) . The preservation project’s success therefore relies on maintaining the forest ecosystem integral and protected. Human invasions threaten the country Human invasions in the country remain the reserve’s greatest concern. The UNESCO in peculiar has been highly vocal and concerned about go oning clangs in the country between reservess of the Congo Liberation Movement ( MLC ) . its ally the Congolese Rally for Democracy -National ( RCD-N ) . and the RCD-Kisangani-Liberation Movement ( RCD-K-ML ) . Armed warfare has damaged parts of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve which had been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1996 and on the List of World Heritage in Danger the undermentioned twelvemonth ( Kuntz. 2003 ) . Specific amendss include the robbery of the reserve’s station at Epulu every bit good as the forsaking by the forest Texas Rangers who have been threatened by the reserves doing some of the forest’s species such as elephants vulnerable poaching by the armed groups ( Kuntz. 2003 ) . But human invasion comes for the most portion. from the folk life within and around the country itself. To prolong their day-to-day demands and a turning population. local husbandmans have resorted to damaging cut and burn methods of agribusiness which is easy infringing on forest land. To augment their demands. hunting is besides prevailing and this prevails despite the presence of modesty guards in the country.What protections exist to protect and continue the country? By virtuousness of being an official wildlife modesty every bit good as its inclusion among the top five sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger ( along with the Virunga. Garamba. Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga national Parkss ) the Okapi Wildlife Reserve expects an array of steps and directives from the international community every bit good as private preservation groups designed to protect its resources ( Kuntz. 2003 ) . Leading the manner in these attempts. the UNESCO at the start of the new millenary gathered local and international support to protect the modesty along with the other four endangered heritage sites as portion of its undertaking for the â€Å"Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Protecting World Natural Heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo† ( Kuntz. 2003 ) . Together with the UN Foundation. the undertaking sought to happen the most important constituent to guarantee that the protection and saving of the modesty is carried out with the best agencies possible which is to beg political support from the authorities of Congo itself every bit good as the remainder of the states involved in the war. In this respect. the authorities of Congo established theInstitute Congolese por le Conservation de Nature( ICCN ) which is tasked with the protection of the vegetations and zoologies of non merely the modesty. but of the full state every bit good. The ICCN works with the Gilman International Conservation to implement security and protection steps within the area- a undertaking that entails a significant budget. Part of the budget has been drawn from the Biodiversity Conservation Program which totaled $ 4. 3 million. but this has since expired when the undertaking reached its completion in 2004 ( GIC. 2002 ) . The remainder of the budget comes from the international community of zoological Parkss which supports the Okapi Wildlife Reserve’s 90 guards every bit good as supplying them with other benefits such as wellness attention and lodging for them and their households. Other of import disbursals include costs for fuel. patrol rations. field and communicating equipment. office supplies. preparation and substructure support ( GIC. 2002 ) . What attempts have been made to further this saving? Preservation in a larger sense is non merely continuing the physical Numberss of the wildlife or works species in inquiry. but takes on a much larger sphere that includes the full ecosystem and of the assorted elements that comprise it. First and foremost is the mission of the preservation undertaking to â€Å"develop an economic and educational base on which a operation okapi modesty can operate† ( GIC. 2002 ) . The Gilman International Conservation has created a direction program specifically designed to turn to issues on fostering saving. The undertaking caputs know that saving attempts need so much support from outside groups and in this respect. Gilman has been successful in happening the important support to do its direction program feasible. It has turned the Okapi Conservation Project into a â€Å"model example† of how preservation attempts should be- that their intrinsic success depends non on a individual beginning. but should come from the corporate consciousness and collaborative attempts of all stakeholders. And the stakeholders in this respect are non merely the native peoples of the country. the Congo authorities or preservation groups. but of the full universe every bit good. The undertakings attempts to leave the message that the Ituri rain forest is but a nexus connected to a larger nexus that necessarily includes everyone else ; when that nexus dies. everything else is affected. Other saving attempts are more biological than physical. At present there are merely about 79 Okapia johnstonis in menagerie around the universe. 41 of which are in U. S. establishments and to hike this figure. there are confined genteelness attempts made to carry through this aim ( AZA. 2007 ) . For those who may be against the constructs of menagerie and captured animate beings. these confined attempts have accomplished much in raising the necessary consciousness of the predicament of the Okapia johnstoni and of endangered animate beings in general. Preservation has besides been furthered by assisting the local population. As mentioned earlier. there is the job of the cut and burn method of agribusiness which has reduced indispensable wood land area. Part of the preservation attempts is to implement an agro-forestry plan tasked to assist local husbandmans utilize their existing land ( Lukas. 2007 ) . To stave off runing of endangered species. preservations groups have taught the local people to happen alternate protein beginnings. One of these is the debut of a cane rat domestication plan. Another plan taught locals to make a genteelness pool where they implemented a fish agriculture undertaking which produces Tilapia. a various fish that strains and grows rapidly every bit good as being rather flavourful ( Lukas. 2007 ) . What extra steps to see the saving of the belongings would you suggest? It is ironical that the really people who are blessed with these great natural resources seem to be the 1s least interested in protecting them. It is important to besides observe that finally. the success and continued saving of the preserve depends on the societal and political will of the peoples of the Congo. Can we implement steps which would halt all belligerencies and armed struggle? Realistically. we can seek. but once more. declaration depends on the parties concerned who likely believe that a diffident zebra like animal who is really more of a camelopard. is no large ground for them to put aside their differences. As it is. more than any other prevalent obstruction or job. war does the most harm. During the last civil war. both the people and the wildlife in the country suffered enormously with tonss of elephants. Primatess and other wildlife killed by military personnels who had occupied the modesty. Fortunately. non one Okapia johnstoni was lost during the occupation- still ; something must be done on a degree that would for good maintain any sort of struggle out of the reserve’s confines ( Butler. 2007 ) . Another of import step to see saving of the Okapia johnstoni in peculiar is to let more menagerie to hold more specimens. Part of the key to successfully engender the species is through confined observation and there is presently a deficiency of significant Numberss of the animate being for animal scientists to analyze and detect. What will be lost if invasion goes unchecked? The okapi’s merely natural enemies are carnal marauders such as leopards and parasitic worms which can do it ill and vulnerable. Despite the fact that its elusiveness may hold contributed to its saving. continued invasion into its lone known home ground will surely cut down its Numberss. The current estimations place about 10. 000-25. 000 Okapis left in the wild and all life in the DRC ( AZA. 2007 ) . But as preservation attempts have ever emphasized. the indirect harm is even greater. The Ituri wood is besides place to a host of other species. both works and animate being and all of these are in danger of being lost if invasion. whether deliberate or non. goes unbridled. But more than merely physical Numberss of works and carnal species. what will finally be lost significantly when invasion eventually destroys the Ituri. is our human unity to protect the really ecosystems that we depend on. There is much concern that unstable climactic and geo-physical anomalousnesss are the consequence of human misdirection and so. one wood lost everlastingly to our irresponsibleness may add to an already weakened planetary nexus. Entreaty to the biological diverseness. Of the current estimations puting Okapi Numberss between 10. 000 – 25. 000 in the natural state. about 5. 000 of these are within the modesty itself along with 4. 000 elephants. 2. 000 leopards. 13 primate species and three species of crocodile. But this merely seems to be the tip of the iceberg ; there is a astonishing 1. 500 species of workss and animate beings. The figure of bird species within the modesty is besides important that it is besides a bird preservation site ( GIC. 2002 ) . But it isn’t merely workss and animate beings which contribute to the biological diverseness of the modesty ; the Ituri is besides the place of the Mbuti and Efe pigmies. one of the few staying echt forest people tribes on Earth ( Jenike. 1995 ) . These are the grounds why the Gilman International Conservation along with other concerned groups have established a plan meant to protect and continue the biological and cultural significance of the country considered to be one of the last few topographic points on Earth where human intercession and attention may spell the recovery of a really delicate and of import ecosystem. Mentions ACF ( 2007 ) Okapi preservation undertaking. Retrieved December 20. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. africanconservation. org/ AZA ( 2007 ) Okapi Fact Sheet. Retrieved December 20. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. aza. org/ Butler. R. ( 2007 ) Human threats to rain forests. Retrieved December 21. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mongabay. com/ GIC ( 2002 ) Okapi preservation undertaking. Retrieved December 21. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. giconline. org/okapiproject. htm? id=okapiproject. htm Jenike. D. . Jenike. M. ( 1995 ) A Walk Through a Rain Forest: Life in the Ituri Forest of Zaire. Fraklin Watts. Kuntz. L. I. ( 2003 ) UNESCO alarmed about state of affairs in Okapi Wildlife Reserve in Democratic Republic of Congo. Retrieved December 20. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //portal0. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. org/en/ev. php- URL_ID=8716 A ; URL_DO=DO_TOPIC A ; URL_SECTION=201. hypertext markup language Lukas. J. ( 2007 ) Okapi preservation undertaking. Retrieved December 20. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wildnet. org/index. htm