Searching for Bonobo in Congo

The Congo is second home since 1974 when I came as Peace Corps teacher to what was then Zaire. It was here that John and I decided to marry, and it was here that two of our three daughters were born. We finished our educations – John with a doctorate in wildlife ecology and mine in plant ecology – then back to Congo and full-time working with Congolese for conservation of their last wildlife-rich forests.

teresehart AT gmail DOT com

...is very tardy about updating her where-abouts! John and I returned to Congo mid-July and have been back and forth in TL2 since then. Tomorrow I go to Kindu and next week Kisangani.

...John is already in Kindu and I am eager to see him as well as a good portion of the teams (Dino, Salumu, DeDieu, Crispin, Sabin, Xavier...).

...We now have a tab for maps. Our first map is of posts and places from which we have reported. It's great, thanks, Nick.

Two organizations made it possible: Abraham Foundation introduced us to Arcus Foundation, together they assured the first send-off.

Soon afterwards US Fish and Wildlife Service joined Arcus and Abraham to allow us to stay in the field for nearly two years.

Other groups/people brought more capacity and sub-projects: Iowa Great Ape Trust (communication), Canadian Ape Alliance (training), Edith McBean (primate study areas).

We began year three with new and generous support from: the Arcus Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wallace Global Fund, Abraham Foundation, Edith McBean.

Part way into year three we were assured two more years of funding from DFID. This will give our bushmeat monitoring, hunting controls, and village to village campaign a tremendous boost.

A Happy New Year of 2010 as a new foundation, Woodtiger Fund, has pledged two years of support. We are now certain that in 2010 we will be able to move our campaign north into the Balanga chefferie and the Tutu valley.

Help came for the Balanga chefferie and the Bangengele chefferie in March with a DAI grant (Development Alternatives International)

At about the same time we heard that we got some critical seed money from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund to allow us to start work farther north, including the Tutu valley.

How can you help? We accept private donations, no matter how small (or big) through a registered charity. Just as important: spread the message, link to us, talk about us, contact us! But donations DO matter, whatever amount they might be, they help and they encourage!

The three river basins of the Tshuapa, Lomami and Lualaba Rivers (TL2), Congo’s forest enigma, ascend through its geographic heart. We have answered our first question "Is Congo's own great ape, the bonobo, found in TL2?" Yes it is? And so is Congo's endemic rainforest giraffe, the okapi and the rare Congo peacock. But, now the challenge is to bring real protection to the forests before the bonobo and all other large animals are hunted out.

We make a great team:

• John Hart, my husband, who has led exploration and inventory missions around Congo for the last 25 years, along with
• Five expert team leaders, Dino Tshwa, Bernard Ikembelo, Maurice Emetshu, Crispin Kibambe, and Christian Urom.
• All of us working closely with some 30-40 other staff, from dugout captain, to community project leader and from cooks to porters, all essential.

We’ve been in the field – Congo’s TL2 – since May 2007.

More on the project. More about us.

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