44 DEPARTURES TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT Lango Camp, in the Republic of the Congo’s Odzala- Kokoua National Park, one of African Parks’ many success stories The Game Changer How one African organisation has taken a radical approach to conservation – with remarkable results. by Heather Richardson NEPTUNO IS ONE magnificent silverback. The 34-year-old western lowland gorilla’s frosted coat extends all the way down his hind legs. His shoulders are hulked up like a rugby player’s, his forearms gigantic. He sits in a tree almost cross-legged, keeping half an eye on us – the five hairless primates crouching silently among the nearby Marantaceae plants. His family browses around him, their munching, rustling and occasional grunts adding to the forest’s unbroken buzz. Nearby, one youngster dangles from a swaying vine with one hand, shovelling leaves into his mouth with the other. In the Republic of the Congo’s remote northwest, Odzala-Kokoua National Park is one of Africa’s oldest protected areas, having been established in 1935. Its 13,500 square kilometres of thick primary forest and jungle-fringed rivers are not only home to the critically endangered western lowland gorilla but also to high densities of chimpanzees and other primates, forest elephants and buffalo, hippos, the lowland bongo antelope, giant forest hogs, leopards, hyenas – including the only population known to thrive in forests – and nearly 450 recorded bird species. Since 2010, Odzala has been managed by African Parks (AP), a Johannesburg-based nonprofit that has set a new paradigm in public-private partnerships. Founded in 2000, the organisation currently manages a larger area of Africa than any other NGO, with 15 parks across nine countries – a total of 105,000 square kilometres. Through longterm agreements with governments, usually of around 20 years, AP takes on every aspect of park management, from anti-poaching measures and infrastructure development to healthcare and education for nearby communities. It’s known for using donor funds to tackle the continent’s “basket cases” – obscure, challenging ecosystems other NGOs won’t touch. Total control of a reserve – and total accountability – is crucial to African Parks’ success, said CEO Peter Fearnhead. “We like to have an overall arrangement with the government that makes things very clear,” he explained. “Government is 100 per cent responsible as owner, legislator SCOTT RAMSAY/CONGO CONSERVATION COMPANY
