Okapi Return to the Epulu Station in DRC After a 13 Year Absence
The Institute in the Congo for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), in partnership with the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), announces the return of okapi to the spacious enclosures in the Okapi Study Area at the Epulu Station at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Chief Warden of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Emmanuel BALEMBA BALAGIZIO on behalf of ICCN Director General said, “A great day has just arrived because at the wish and request of local communities living in and around OWR during several meetings, the only major question that regularly came up was when will okapis be back in the Epulu Station where we can see them.” The request was raised to the ICCN Director General which wrote a letter giving the authorization to its technical and financial support partner OCP, to carry out a campaign to bring okapi back to the Station.
In response to strong community interest and support for returning okapi – the national icon of DRC – to the Epulu Station after a 13-year absence, ICCN and its partners initiated a carefully planned capture campaign when security conditions in eastern DRC appeared favorable. This locally-driven initiative followed extensive preparation, including traditional community ceremonies and comprehensive camera trap studies to identify suitable areas with stable okapi populations.
One female okapi was successfully brought into specialized quarantine pens at the station in early February and has been adapting extremely well to her new environment. Due to evolving security concerns in the region the campaign was temporarily suspended. Since then, the situation in Ituri Province (where the Reserve is located) has improved with Ugandan Troops and the Congolese Army working together to neutralize two rebel groups that have been active for many years in eastern DRC.
Okapi settling into quarantine enclosures at the Epulu Station. Leaves are hung inside the fence line twice daily which are collected by Mbuti early each morning
The presence of okapi at Epulu Station has historically played a crucial role in connecting local communities with conservation efforts in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR). This cultural and conservation heritage remains an important consideration in ICCN's ongoing wildlife protection strategies. The campaign was organized in response to the desire, as voiced by communities throughout the region, to bring okapi back to the Epulu station to showcase the flagship species of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve to the world.
The okapi in Epulu is under constant surveillance by ICCN eco-guards, reflecting the value of this single okapi in engaging communities to participate in safeguarding all wildlife amidst ongoing regional security concerns. The okapi is healthy and has already adapted to her new surroundings under the excellent care provided by her two keepers. Fifteen Indigenous Mbuti collect leaves from 25 native species of trees to support the animal’s twice-daily feedings. The okapi has been fittingly named Tundana, meaning “together,” as the okapi unites all people collectively to conserve Africa’s most biodiverse forest ecosystem—the okapis’ home.
Tundana is the visible ambassador for her species for all that come to see her in her native forest to inspire people to care and act on her behalf to protect okapi habitat from degradation from illegal activities such as mining and logging. ICCN and its partners remain committed to the conservation of okapi and the protection of their forest habitat, while prioritizing the safety and security of both wildlife and people during this pegional instability.
The response from the communities in and around the Reserve of the news that an okapi was once again in Epulu and soon to be viewable in its natural habitat was extremely well received, some comments from local leaders, chiefs and inhabitants of the region follow:
For the Mambasa Administrator, the news of having an okapi at the Epulu Station “Goes straight to his heart because it is a pressing concern for him to see this animal in a zoological facility. Therefore, the territory will attract tourists and open a wide door to many nationals to see this animal.”
Mambasa Chiefdom Chief, representing all Mambasa Chiefdoms Chiefs, “Thanked and encouraged OWR team for recognizing and respecting customary authority. During the Chiefs meeting in 2020, the return of the okapis to Epulu Station were among the main recommendations that were formulated, and this is just the start.”
Indigenous Mbuti and Efe People representative.
Mbuti Indigenous People representative, Mr. Musa Makubasi, said “He had lived all the history with the okapi experience, and this okapi capture project brings them joy. It is important for them (Mbuti) because since 2012, they have been victims, as everything was taken from them. They benefited a lot from the presence of okapis at the Epulu Station. It belongs to them, the Mbuti of MAMBASA Territory, according to the history of the ancestors given the number of the Mbuti and Efe population. The return of the okapis can only be happiness because it is the return of our consideration within society.
Dieudonné Lossa, a member of the local community and provincial coordinator of the REDD+ climate working group said “Okapis are popular in the Ituri region due to their reputation as unique animals, which makes them a symbol of pride, The okapi is an animal of great cultural importance in Ituri - they symbolize cleanliness and peace because they are not violent. Having them in our forests is a great source of pride.”
Tundana four months after arriving at the Epulu Station Okapi Study Area. She has adapted extremely well to the care provided by OCP staff and relishes the leaves from over 25 tree species provided twice daily by Indigenous Mbuti-the people of the forest who live side by side with their spiritual brethren, the okapi-the pride of DRC.
