Okapi Conservation Project

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The Okapi Conservation Project is located within the Ituri Forest, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the most biologically diverse country in Africa. The Ituri Forest covers 175,000 square kilometers of lowland tropical forest and contains some of the most important closed canopy rainforest and species diversity in the world.  In recognition of the importance of this unique ecosystem, which harbors high levels of endemism, including a large population of okapi, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was gazetted in 1992, encompassing 13,700 square kilometers.  In 1996, it was designated as a United Nation’s World Heritage Site.

The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was initiated by GIC in 1987 with the objective of eliciting support for the conservation of the wild okapi from zoological institutions managing okapi in zoos around the world.  Okapi ambassadors in zoos help instill awareness of the rapid destruction of rainforests and generate financial support for the preservation of okapi habitat in the Ituri Forest of the Congo River basin.  The OCP has significantly contributed to the establishment and security of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa.

The objective to develop an economic and educational base on which a functioning okapi reserve can operate is supported by the OCP program areas of agroforestry, conservation education, bushmeat alternatives, and community assistance, coupled with direct support for the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature to protect the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. As we complete our 23rd year, the Okapi Conservation Project has much to celebrate.