We are nearly 40 staff spread out in several teams. Below, is an overview based on my questioning of eight field leaders. My husband, John, and I are the only “wazungu”, or foreigners, and we have been in Congo for over 25 years. During the first two years we were joined by one other “muzungu”, Ashley, whose write-up is below. We have worked with each of the top staff on other field projects before this one. Some tally over a decade of collaboration. Together, we make a great team not only because of field knowledge and observation skills, but also in diplomacy, negotiation and conflict resolution and prevention.
Terese, Director
You can read about me in the side bar. That’s enough, don’t you think? A few more details are in “Who is Terese and why is she writing here” and in a National Geographic video from back in the days.
With wonderfully warm receptions like this, no wonder I stay in Congo
John, Scientific Director
I first came to Congo in 1973 to live with and document the ecology of the Mbuti Pygmies in Congo’s eastern forests. That was the beginning of the bushmeat hunting era. We have watched commercial hunting spread further and further into the heart of the forest since then. Over the last 20 years I have been inventorying animals in different forests around central Africa. Now, finally, we are finding out what is in the very center of the most central of all African forests, between the Tshuapa, Lomami and Lualaba (=TL2). A little more history is here.
John surrounded by his field team in the northern TL2, the Balengola area.
Ashley, First Field Leader
I first worked with John on a bonobo census of the Salonga Park more than three years ago. Why did I come back? That should have been an intense enough experience what with the Kitawalist rebels taking a particular dislike for the foreign guy, but I couldn’t resist the TL2 adventure. It was as amazing as we thought it would be. A bit more is here. But now those two Americans, whose write ups are above, are on their own. I did not, however, return to England, not yet. Still trying to sort out Congo’s forests. Now in the northeast. No bonobos here, but loads of chimps.
Ashley during a moment of intense concentration in the dugout
About the team leaders
Dino
I first started working with Terese and John and for conservation in DRCongo in 1994. I am now part of the Congolese Conservation Institute (ICCN). I come from north of Bunia in the far east of Congo and am of the Hema tribe, but we spoke Kilendu not Kihema at home when I was growing up. Now I speak KiSwahili at home because my wife is from another ethnic group. We have six children. MamaTerese asked what I thought was the most interesting part of the TL2 work so far: I have found the southern Province of Maniema important for 2 reasons:
- The people are friendly and welcoming
- There is evidence of lots of animals, particularly bonobo, but also other primates and ungulates.
Dino shows some of his pictures in the village of Tubundubundu.
Bernard
I first started work in conservation as an apprentice park guard in Salonga National Park, west of TL2, in 2003. From there I started working on the Salonga bonobo surveys. Although I was born in Kinshasa my family’s ancestral home is near the Salonga National Park. The family language is Lingala. My wife and I have 5 children. What seems to me to be a particularly important part of TL2 is the area south west of Obenge. This is the one area, along the TuTu river, where there is abundant Elephant sign. There are also mysterious animals here like an antelope that seems different from all known antelope and the new mystery primate, Lesula.
Bernard in camp in the evening
Maurice
I, too, am from the territory of Mankoto near Salonga National Park. That is where I was born but my mother comes from the northeastern part of the country, so at home growing up we spoke Lingala although the native language is Kimongo. I now speak Lingala at home with my wife and five children. My first work for conservation was working on elephant surveys in Salonga National Park. In TL2 the area that seemed most amazing to me was where the forest met the savanna in the far south between the Lomami and the Lualaba. It is beautiful and we see animals of both the forest and the savanna.
Maurice collecting gifts, another warm reception
Kahindo
I was born in the Ituri Forest in east DRC but my ancestral home is even farther east in the hills on the Ugandan border. My language is Kinande and that is what we speak at home. My wife and I have two children. I started work for Conservation in 1995 doing plant inventories in the Okapi Reserve and joined the Congolese Conservation Institute in 2002. My strongest attachment in TL2 is to the Losekola study area where we are following the new primate species, Lesula (aka mystery monkey.
Kahindo with Marantaceae eaten by the mystery monkey - Lesula
Crispin
I was born in the central-east of the country, in the province of Maniema but my ancestral home is in Kasai Oriental. Although my family language is Kisongye we always spoke Swahili at home. Now in my own home with my wife I speak more Lingala and some French. We have four children. I found the most impressive part of TL2 so far to be the cave and the savanna islands in the forest of Djonga.
Crispin, on right, with elephant ear left in poacher’s camp.
