Reserve Naturelle du Sankuru

The World’s Largest
Continuous Protected Area for Great Apes.

The Bonobo Conservation Initiative, ACOPRIK (Community Action for the Protection of the Primates of Kasai) and the DRC Ministry of Environment collaborated to create an 11,803 square mile reserve in the Tshuapa and Lomami river basins. The Sankuru Nature Reserve will be the first large protected area in the DRC to be managed by the local communities themselves. We are working to build the capacity of local indigenous people to undertake monitoring, enforcement, and management responsibilities.

"This is a monumental step toward saving a significant portion of the world's second largest rainforest, of critical importance to the survival not only of humankind's closest great ape relative, the bonobo, but to all life on earth given the increasing threat of climate change," said Sally Jewell Coxe. [Read press release!]

An important emphasis in conservation worldwide is to establish corridors of protection between isolated and fragmented protected areas in order to establish larger continuous bands of protection, or single uninterrupted zones. This connectivity is critical  for the long-term survival of migratory and other large ranging species and for overall  health of the ecosystems.

The Sankuru Reserve is now the largest continuous protected area in the DRC, and one of the largest rainforest reserves on earth. 

Since 2005, BCI and our partner ACOPRIK (Community Action for the Protection of the Primates of Kasai) targeted the Sankuru/Lomela territory as a high priority for bonobo conservation. This large forest block southeast of Salonga National Park remains scientifically largely unexplored. Working with scientists of the Congolese Center for Research in Ecology and Forestry (CREF), we have trained local monitoring teams and conducted Information Exchange and surveys for the first bonobo studies in the area. These confirmed the presence not only of bonobos, but also of okapi — a surprising and important discovery!

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is the other great flagship species of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where, like the bonobo, it is endemic. A strikingly handsome large ungulate, the okapi is a shorter necked forest giraffe. The best known okapi population is outside the bonobo range, across the Congo River to the northeast in the Ituri Forest, in the Okapi Faunal Reserve. This multi-zoned protected area has served as an inspiration for BCI’s efforts to protect bonobos and their habitats. It is very unusual for okapi to be found within the bonobo range. However, like bonobos, okapi suffer from heavy hunting pressure and are motivating local partners and community conservation efforts.

The Lomela/Sankuru territory is particularly important to bonobo conservation. The local people hunt bonobos, whose orphaned infants are sold as pets at markets. ACOPRIK has just rescued four bonobo orphans, which we are in the process of nurturing and transporting safely to sanctuary. Unlike other indigenous groups who have taboos against hunting bonobos, people in this region have traditional beliefs that encourage pregnant women to perform rituals with the ashes from bonobo bones to give their babies strength. BCI discovered six bonobos in one village that had been killed in one week. This indicated that there is a healthy bonobo population in the region, but that the threats are extremely serious and require immediate conservation action.

The region still suffers from great poverty. BCI requires additional support to address the livelihood needs of the local people. A recent epidemic wiped out up to 90% of the domestic pig population, which has put even greater hunting pressure on bonobos, okapis and other wildlife.

BCI needs immediate support to offer livelihood assistance and to support additional monitoring teams and eco-guards.

Orphan bonobo rescued in the Lomela/Sankuru Region.

You can help! Please join us in supporting the new Sankuru Reserve!

ACOPRIK Executive Secretary Andre Tusumba talking with villagers about bonobos and the laws against hunting them. In this region, bonobos are hunted and used in rituals because of the belief that doing so will give strength to human children.

Newly trained and equipped trackers prepare to assist survey teams. BCI's approach is to support and build capacity of our Congolese partners on the front lines of conservation. With your help we can continue to do so.

The skin of an okapi that had been hunted in the Djonga Forest.

BCI team member explores the savanna. Sankuru/Lomela is comprised of a mosaic of forests and savannas. Studying bonobos in different habitats may provide valuable information that can contribute to greater understanding of mankind's evolution. It is also essential to their conservation.

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