Deep in the eastern reaches of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rainforest, in a place unmarked by roads or development, the Usala Forest is among the most intact and undisturbed sections of rainforest left on the African continent. Here, many imperiled species take refuge, including the Critically Endangered Grauer’s Gorilla, the Endangered Okapi and the Critically Endangered African Forest Elephant.

Rainforest Trust and our partner, Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center, Inc., seek $2,142,205 to support local communities in creating three new Community Forests totaling 284,801 acres. These three Community Forests will be formed into the Usala Gorilla Reserve Conservation Corridor, a formal management unit that will legally recognise the forest rights of local communities and will ensure community-based management of the forests.

Header photo: Eastern Lowland or Grauer’s Gorilla, by Krasnova Ekaterina

Protect a Critical Wildlife Corridor for Large Mammals

The Critically Endangered Grauer’s Gorilla—a subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla—is the world’s largest primate. But its size is no protection against the threat of extinction. Rampant poaching has decimated the species’ population, reducing its numbers from approximately 16,900 to fewer than 4,000 in just one generation, approximately 20 years.

The new reserve will link three protected areas that already exist in the region—Tayna Nature Reserve, Kisimba Ikobo Reserve and Maiko National Park. Combined, the four reserves will create one massive 3.2-million-acre safe haven for biodiversity.

Protecting the Forest Rights of Local Communities

Because the new reserve will formally recognize the forest rights of the local communities, tribal leadership will be able to effectively and sustainably manage their lands. For example, they will be able to grow conservation-related income sources and reduce dependence upon poaching for the bushmeat trade by instead employing forest guards from local communities.