PRESS RELEASE World Okapi Day 2023
PRESS RELEASE
World Okapi Day - October 18, 2023
Okapi Wildlife Reserve celebrates the globally threatened okapi and its rainforest habitat.
Epulu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), October 18, 2023 - On the occasion of World Okapi Day, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) calls on local communities, lndigenous Peoples, partners, and ail concerned citizens to work together to protect the okapi and its natural habitat that is threatened with extinction due to poaching, trafficking and deforestation.
"lt is essential that we work together to ensure that okapi are fully protected for present and future generations," urges Papy Shamavu, OWR Director and Site Manager. "ln its wild state, the okapi is found only in the forests of central and eastern DRC, which makes it exceptionally vulnerable to the expansion and intensification of human activities," insists Papy Shamavu.
This Wednesday, October 18, hundreds of people are expected to take part in okapi-themed events in eight villages in the lturi and Haut-Uélé provinces: Banana, Badengaido, Nduye, Bayenga, Betongwe, Apodo, Durba and Dingbo. Events in each locality will begin with a discussion on the link between the okapi and the forest, followed by mass awareness-raising sessions, a soccer match and various sporting and cultural games for schoolchildren, local communities, and indigenous peoples.
"World Okapi Day is a crucial moment to raise awareness among local communities, including lndigenous Peoples, of the importance of protecting this emblematic species. lt is in our interest to protect okapis, not only because they are a national emblem for the DRC, but also because when their populations are healthy and increasing, it will be possible to revive tourism, which could benefit both the Republic and local communities," continues Mr. Papy Shamavu.
Since 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has instituted October 18 as World Okapi Day. Today, the RFO celebrates its sixth World Okapi Day. Each year, the event brings tqgether an average of 10,000 people in and around the OWR.
"The time has came for us to stand together as one and help protect the integrity of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and the okapi. The public can help put an end to okapi poaching and trafficking by reporting it to the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), state, customary, and judicial authorities, which will guarantee their protection for present and future generations worldwide," adds Mr. Berce Nsafuansa, Program Manager for Wildlife Conservation Global (WCG), OWR long-standing partner.
ln 2013, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was estimated to be home to one-sixth of the world's okapi population around 5,000 out of more than 30,000 living in the wild; however, due to increasing threats, these figures are now thought to be much lower.
Alongside local communities, OWR and its partners are working hard to ensure the survival of the okapi and other threatened species. "Together, let's protect okapi, our national pride.”
Epulu, October 17, 2023
