Latest news from Dzanga Sangha. Since my last report on Tuesday 11 July, there has been a lot of disturbing information coming directly from Bayanga. Due to immediate security concerns we have delayed our return and will head back very soon, but at this time we prefer to keep the dates quiet as we don’t want to have a welcoming by greedy out of control soldiers. For the Elephants at Dzanga Bai and the Habituated gorillas, the situation remains secure for now and they have so far been unaffected since the May 8 Attack, and we hope that this status remains in place. A large group of around 20 Sudanese poachers have been operating in and area around 100-150 Kms to the north west of the reserve, there have been reports of two elephant killed near Ngotto, but the real concern is that these people are waiting to move into the reserve should the opportunity arise. No expats have yet returned to work at the headquarters, and the conservation efforts are in the hand of some very capable Central African staff. However, they remain a small and under-staffed force should there be pressure from outside. News on the human side of this tragedy is not any better than the conservation side , for the last week a group of Seleka soldiers have based themselves along the main access road at a junction that everyone moving virtually anywhere has to pass, and from here they are extorting money from the locals, 100 cfa per person, and 500 cfa per Motorbike. Larger amounts for cars although there are so few vehicles operating there right now. The clinics have for the last months had not received and medicines at all, and diseases like Malaria, Typhoid, Tuberculosis and several others which are common in the area now going untreated. The low morale in the village and the apparent lack of opportunity can only have an adverse effect on conservation as well, and the bushmeat poaching remains unchecked for the most part. Please help support our campaign to return to Dzanga and have a presence on site for the coming month by visiting igg.me/at/sanghalodge/x/3576314 and donating a little towards this.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:34:58 +0000
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