Lefini Reserve

Background
The western gorilla has been recognised as globally endangered since 2003, however in the light of recent evidence it has just been reclassified as critically endangered (IUCN 2007). The reasons for this have been identified as over-exploitation of the species’ forest habitat, commercial hunting for bush-meat and the subsequent illegal trade in orphans, and, only recently fully recognised, the devastating threat of the ebola virus. The Aspinall Foundation, founded by the late John Aspinall, in cooperation with the governments of the Republic of Congo and of Gabon, set up the Projet Lesio-Louna (PLL) for the overall goal to work with local partners for the conservation of indigenous endangered species in general, and of gorillas in particular.

PLL have released several populations of western gorilla into the Lefini Reserve. A total of 53 animals – both wild and captive born gorillas – are now living in the Lefini Reserve where the species had been all but eliminated during the first half of the twentieth century.

Loubilika Ranger Post
Tusk recently stepped in as a partner to the project, providing funds to build and equip a permanent Ranger’s post and camp on the northwestern boundary of the reserve, strategically the most important point within the Reserve which makes up the release site for the reintroduced gorilla orphans. Lefini Reserve is surrounded by three rivers on the north, east and west. To the south the reserve is a large expanse of savannah that is patrolled by rangers coming from the base camp. All traffic passing the reserve from the east (all human habitation near the reserve is situated to the east) is monitored by a camp at the confluent of the Louna and Lefini rivers, which flow into the great Congo River. Any canoe entering the reserve is searched and names and itineraries logged, permits checked. The new Tusk sponsored Loubilika Camp to the west now means that the rangers can verify that fishermen and hunters who have logged in at the eastern Confluent Camp have actually passed through the reserve limits. This has tightened up the security within the reserve considerably affording greater protection to the resident gorillas and other species.

Tusk Trust Support
As the projects that Tusk has funded over the years mature, develop and instigate sound and successful conservation practices, the charity has seen the benefit of communicating these methods between projects. This has been the case with PLL. A visit by a group of the Tusk Trustees to Lefini in September 2007 allowed them to explain how successful community driven conservation and development techniques employed in Kenya could be implemented at PLL to enable the Lefini communities to benefit from the reserve and the Gorilla’s continuing existence. PLL are now engaging the local communities on the eastern boundaries (pop 20,000) and will be conducting a survey to establish the development priorities for these villages

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