Happy Birthday Garamba

Garamba, one of Africa's oldest national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated its extraordinary 85-year history in March.

Roll the clock back to the 1970s and Garamba was an undulating plateau of golden savannah threaded with dense forest and swampy depressions,  home to more than 22,000 elephants, northern white rhino, hippo, giraffe and other species.

But Garamba sits in a challenging corner of Africa, sharing a 260km border with South Sudan to the north and the Central African Republic (CAR) to the west. This makes it vulnerable,  with heavily armed international groups operating in the corridor from CAR to Uganda. 

Image at top: African Parks

In 1984 the park was placed on the World Heritage Sites in Danger list but little could be done to stem the rot. Militarised poachers and rebel groups caused widespread devastation in the area with the elephant population eventually reduced to 1,200 and northern white rhinos poached into local extinction. 

In 2005, after three decades of destruction, African Parks, a non-profit organisation, signed an agreement to manage Garamba with with the DRC Government’s Institut pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN). 

This partnership has transformed the fortunes of the park, and the surrounding communities. 

Image: African Parks

In 2018 Explorers Against Extinction partnered with Garamba. Our target was to raise $50,000 USD to establish a new working dogs programme in the park to support anti-poaching efforts.

The funds saw construction of a new kennel complex and a housing-compound for the handlers and unit guards. It also provided for 12 months veterinary and maintenance expenses, equipment for the unit,  and two dogs to get the unit going. 

As a result of our support, additional funding from the EU became available bringing the unit to full capacity with six dogs.

Image: SW EAE The Kennel Complex at Garamba

Rob & I were invited out to Garamba in August 2019. We shadowed the dog squad over a number of days visiting the PK Elephant check point with them, as well as accompanying the unit on various drills, including a tracking exercise out in the park.  We also accompanied Achille, head of the giraffe conservation programme in Garamba, on a giraffe monitoring flight although I'm not sure our spotting ability was up to scratch!

There was an incursion during our stay which highlighted the importance and complexity of conservation partnerships in Garamba. 

Image: SW EAE - Rob pictured on the airstrip at Aru, about to depart for Garamba

Images: SW EAE Garamba National Park - Hina going through a tracking exercise in the elephant grass with handler Tandema; at the PK Elephant Check Point - Perla with handler Latino

In 2020 we joined forces once again and donated $28,500 to support genomic reference work in Garamba, DRC and Chinko in CAR. The project focused on elephants, giraffes, carnivores (primarily, lions, leopards and hyenas) and chimpanzees with analysis  completed by Stanford University.  

This research has helped to unlock vital information about population size, demography and dietary ecology which in turn allows for correct conservation management of the landscapes and habitats.

Image: African Parks - Elephant Collaring and sampling

Today, the Garamba Complex stretches over 14, 760 square kilometres, with more than 500km of roads and four bridges. 

The future is bright -  wildlife populations are on the rise - including the Critically Endangered Kordofan Giraffe now up to over 70 individuals from around 50 when we visited in 2019.  As part of an extensive law enforcement programme, the K9 unit has led to a staggering 90% drop in elephant poaching, and there is also an extensive community development programme. 

Happy Birthday Garamba - there is a lot to smile about and we feel very proud to have played a tiny part in Garamba's history.

Image: Stephen Cunliffe for African Parks, Garamba

Image: RF EAE - Sara travelling with armed guard, on the road from Nagero, DRC