Program areas at APFA
African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national Parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 18 national Parks and protected areas in 11 countries covering over 14.1 million hectares in: angola, benin, central African republic, chad, the democratic republic of congo, malawi, mozambique, the republic of congo, rwanda, zambia and zimbabwe.i. Garamba national park in the democratic republic of congo (drc) was declared a world heritage site in 1980 and is one of africa's oldest Parks. It is an ancient and majestic landscape of dense forest and savannah which spans 4,900 km, and comprises part of the larger garamba complex of 12,500 km, sharing 200 km of its border with war-torn south sudan. Garamba is the last holdout for the largest population of elephants and the only surviving population of the kordofan giraffe in all of congo. Despite being situated in one of the most hostile parts of africa, garamba is teeming with life. Tragically, militant ivory and bushmeat poachers have exerted immense pressure on the park over the past few decades. Garamba is on the frontline of the poaching crisis due largely as a result of the ongoing civil war with deserters from the south sudanese army, and regional and local terrorist groups including the lord's resistance army (lra) who benefit from killing elephants for the sale of ivory. Our vision however is to restore security to garamba through intensive and extensive law enforcement, and from community engagement in areas beyond the park'Parks's borders. Our key focus is on training and equipping park rangers to counter militarized poachers, and to work with local communities to deliver needed benefits and reduce human impact on natural resources.i. Odzala-kokoua national Parks in the republic of congo is situated in the heart of the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, harboring approximately 22,000 western lowland gorillas, elusive forest elephants and 444 bird species. Beneath the candescent canopy, an unparalleled level of floral diversity creates a breath-taking landscape in which some the planet's rarest and most enigmatic species can be found. Ivory and bushmeat poaching remain a constant threat, but with over 100 eco-guards patrolling the 13,500 km park African Parks is working to protect the Parks's iconic wildlife. We have recruited, trained and deployed many new rangers to monitor the salt licks where animals congregate. This not only deters poaching but habituates wildlife to human presence, boosting the park'Parks's tourism appeal. By working closely with local communities and implementing innovative solutions to curb poaching, including mobile healthcare units for surrounding communities and gorilla habituation programs to increase tourism, these projects are yielding impressive results for the long-term sustainability of the park.i. Located in the central African republic (car), chinko is a unique area that spans a vast 17,600 km2 where savannah and tropical forest collide. These mixed habitats have resulted in an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. Even more miraculous is that despite decades of elephant and bushmeat poaching, cattle and herdsman who move through the area, and political insecurity over the years, remnant populations of most key species here have persisted and the ecosystem has remained intact, making this one of the largest ecosystems with the greatest conservation potential in all of central africa. The park is home to as many as ten primate species, including a significant population of chimpanzees; five felid species including the highly vulnerable central African lion, leopard, serval, the rare golden cat, and 19 other carnivore species like the African wild dog and nine mongoose species (the most documented for any one protected area in the world). Twenty-three species of even-toed ungulates including the iconic lord derby's eland and bongo have been documented; and both forest and savannah elephants exist here, making this one of the last holdouts for elephants in the country. A minimum of 400 bird species have also been identified, and it is believed that as many as 600 could exist. Communities living around chinko are among the most marginalised people, not just in central africa but on the planet, with little to no infrastructure, employment, education or health services. The community benefits provided by African Parks, such as employment, education and health care, are key to the long-term future of the park.