The mist drapes softly over the lush hills of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a sanctuary for one of the last remaining populations of the eastern lowland gorilla, also known as Grauer\u2019s gorilla. This region is rich in biodiversity but remains politically unstable. For Dominique Bikaba, a 54-year-old conservationist, this area is a poignant reminder of his past.<\/p>\n
In the 1970s, Bikaba’s family was uprooted when their ancestral lands were absorbed into the park’s boundaries. Located in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this protected area is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, but it is particularly recognized for being the primary habitat of the Grauer\u2019s gorilla, the largest of all ape subspecies, which can weigh as much as 250 kilograms (39 stone). This species is one of five great apes inhabiting the expansive forests of the DRC, alongside mountain gorillas that are also native to regions such as Rwanda and Uganda.<\/p>\n
For Bikaba, who is the founder and executive director of Strong Roots Congo, conservation has been inextricably linked with themes of memory, loss, and resilience.<\/p>\n
Bikaba grew up on the outskirts of the park, recalling fond memories of exploring the forest as a child. \u201cMy grandmother would take me into the woods, where we could observe the gorillas in their natural habitat,\u201d he reminisces. His upbringing was influenced by a mix of cultures; he was raised by his biological mother, a Batwa (pygmy) mother, and his grandmother. His formative years were spent within the Batwa community, which has a deep cultural and spiritual connection to the forest.<\/p>\n
From his upbringing, he acquired knowledge about medicinal plants, wildlife, and the importance of coexistence. \u201cMy grandmother taught me how to be a \u2018man,\u2019 but my pygmy mother showed me how to live in harmony with the forest,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
At that time, Grauer\u2019s gorillas were not yet classified as critically endangered, and a delicate equilibrium existed between humans and gorillas. \u201cOccasionally, they would venture out and graze on our crops, while baboons would steal our bananas,\u201d Bikaba reflects. Although this coexistence was fraught with tension, it had not yet escalated into disaster. However, the onset of war would alter this fragile balance.<\/p>\n
Bikaba embarked on his conservation journey in 1992, at the age of 20, after completing his education and responding to calls from community leaders to mediate disputes between park authorities and displaced individuals. The situation worsened in 1994 when the Rwandan genocide led to a surge of refugees into eastern DRC, sparking the first Congo war in the late 1990s, which was succeeded by a second conflict. The violence persists to this day.<\/p>\n
These conflicts have had catastrophic consequences for wildlife. Prior to the wars, the population of eastern lowland gorillas was estimated at around 17,000. By 2016, surveys indicated that only approximately 3,800 remained. \u201cWe are currently unaware of the status of the gorillas. Perhaps once the conflict subsides, we can conduct assessments to understand their situation better,\u201d Bikaba states.<\/p>\n
A report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016 pointed out that practices like slash-and-burn agriculture and bushmeat hunting were significant contributors to the decline of the gorilla population, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts.<\/p>\n
Bikaba speaks solemnly about his own close calls. \u201cI have narrowly escaped death on several occasions, but many of my friends and family members were not as fortunate,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n
In 2009, he established Strong Roots Congo with the mission to harmonize conservation efforts with the rights of local communities surrounding Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The organization partnered with the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) during renewed state initiatives to protect the forest. However, Bikaba’s ambitions extended beyond immediate conservation. \u201cWe sought to expand our focus beyond just these forests,\u201d he explains, emphasizing the community’s desire for enhanced protection of gorillas and other species.<\/p>\n
An expedition in late 2010, involving approximately 70 chiefdoms adjacent to protected areas, crystallized a vision to create a biodiversity corridor connecting Kahuzi-Biega National Park with the Itombwe Nature Reserve. The goal was\u2014and still is\u2014to secure one million hectares (2.47 million acres) for wildlife and Indigenous communities, restoring fragmented habitats while formalizing customary land rights.<\/p>\n
To date, Strong Roots has facilitated the establishment of 23 community forests, covering around 600,000 hectares. By collaborating with international conservation organizations, it assists communities in transforming customary land tenure into legally recognized community forestry concessions. This approach is reminiscent of successful models implemented in certain Latin American regions, where Indigenous stewardship has proven beneficial for forest conservation.<\/p>\n The persistent insecurity poses significant challenges. \u201cWe have never truly experienced peace,\u201d he observes. His office was plundered following the takeover of Goma by M23 rebels, and conflicts have periodically rendered field sites inaccessible. Travel that once required a 30-minute flight from Bukavu to Shabunda can now take up to four days, involving numerous transit points.<\/p>\n The proposed biodiversity corridor aims not only to safeguard other large mammals but also to reconnect isolated gorilla populations, enhancing their prospects for breeding and recovery. Importantly, this corridor will be co-managed by Indigenous communities, whose historical ties to the forest predate colonial and contemporary conservation frameworks.<\/p>\n For Bikaba, who grew up at the forest’s edge and was shaped by experiences of displacement and tradition, this work embodies a sense of restitution. \u201cWhat we are doing is reuniting communities so they can thrive together as they have for generations,\u201d he reflects.<\/p>\n He expresses caution towards conservation models that portray local populations as adversaries. \u201cWestern conservationists often claim that Indigenous people damage the forest due to poverty, but there is a…\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The mist drapes softly over the lush hills of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a sanctuary for one of the last remaining populations of the eastern lowland gorilla, also known as Grauer\u2019s gorilla. This region is rich in biodiversity but remains politically unstable. For Dominique Bikaba, a 54-year-old conservationist, this area is a poignant reminder of his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3623,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[639,177,638,636,635,637,447,640,641,88,448,571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-africa","category-uk-animals","category-uk-conflict-and-arms","category-uk-conservation","category-uk-democratic-republic-of-the-congo","category-uk-endangered-habitats","category-uk-endangered-species","category-uk-environment","category-uk-global-development","category-uk","category-uk-wildlife","category-uk-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n