The Revealed

Category: About the project, Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, CD with gorilla stories | Date: Oct 31 2009 | By: therevealed

Hi everyone,

We have not written quite a long time, because we had full hands of work with our activities in the Czech republic which help us to support gorillas in wild. We organized a lot of partial activities, for example exhibition of photos called Phenomenon The Revealed. This exhibition travels around the whole Czech Republic and it reached even Moscow in Russia!

In cooperation with Czech Radio we recorded and produced a CD with Gorilla Fairy Tales. The main protagonist of fairy tales is one of the most famoust czech celebrities – singer Lucie Bílá. Since you have read the last comment we have also prepared the book of Gorilla Fairy Tales for commercial sell. We get also the offer to make russian edition of these fairy tales. We will write details about all these activities soon, do not worry! :-)

Furthermore we have worked on our own Facebook page (you can look here), we have joined the donation sms called DMS. People from the Czech Republic could send sms in a value of 30 Kc (=approximately little bit more than 1 Euro). 27 Kc from each DMS is intended for gorilla conservation. And at last we have prepared an auction of our photos and one oil painting of gorillas (btw. this painting is gonna be the cover page of the forementioned CD). People in the Czech Republic could join the auction till this Friday and suggest as much money as they want to pay for the production. You can have a look on the process of the auction here.

Everything what we gain from these activities is intended to western lowland gorilla´s conservation in central Africa. Our immediate purpose is to publish Gorilla Stories Book and other educational material focused on conservation for children and distribute it in Congo-Brazzaville. Other aim is to support Ecogaurds protecting the Reservation Dja in Cameroon agains poachers. They need the basic equipment – shoes, tents and so on.

So as you see, we have had full hands of work… But now, we are back and we will continue to keep you posted! :-)

Your Jana and Miroslav - The Revealed Team!

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Category: Activities of The Revealed, Central African Republic, Forest Elephants | Date: Jul 22 2009 | By: therevealed

Radioservis and The Revealed produced puzzles with Forest Elephants from Dzanga Sangha. Profit is intended for equipment of ecoguards working in Dja Raserve in Cameroon. You can buy the puzzles in our e-shop.

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Category: Activities of The Revealed, Central African Republic, Forest Elephants | Date: Jul 20 2009 | By: therevealed

Miroslav Bobek et al.

Interview with Andrea Turkalo

Part III

There are always several BaAka, local Pygmies, at Andrea Turkalo’s camp who work for her as guides and scouts. The camp is also regularly visited by Bantus armed with automatic rifles who guard the reserve. Although the Dzanga clearing looks like paradise on Earth, it is not completely safe for wild animals. However, the situation is much worse elsewhere. 

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Category: Activities of The Revealed, Central African Republic, Forest Elephants | Date: Jul 10 2009 | By: therevealed

Miroslav Bobek et  al.

Interview with Andrea Turkalo

Part II

Dzanga Bai appears to be from a different time and world. Against the backdrop of the forest, you can see dozens of elephants: females, their offspring of various age, as well as a long-tusked males here and there. Together with them scores of forest buffaloes and antelopes… This remote place in Central African Republic is where American zoologist Andrea Turkalo has been conducting her research for nearly twenty years.

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Category: Central African Republic, Forest Elephants | Date: Jul 02 2009 | By: therevealed

Miroslav Bobek et al., 2 July 2009 

Interview with Adrea Turkalo 

Part I

Andrea Turkalo has lived in a small forest camp in the southwest of the Central African Republic. Every morning she walks to a shelter hidden at the edge of a unique “forest elephant clearing”. Supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the US government, she conducts research into the life of forest elephants and tries to contribute to their protection.

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Category: Activities of The Revealed, Bushmeat, Cameroon, Ecoguard, Live stream/video | Date: Jun 17 2009 | By: therevealed

Miroslav Bobek et al., 17 June 2009

The Dja biosphere reserve in the south-eastern Cameroon is guarded by four units of rangers called “ecoguards”. This sixty-strong force is supposed to protect more than half a million hectares of tropical rainforest. With worn-out shoes and no tents or communication technology they confront hordes of armed poachers.

Djoum is more than 250 km from Yaoundé. While the first three-fifths of the distance is a nice drive along a good tarmac road, the rest is a dirt road navigable only for 4×4 trucks, and sometimes not even for them in the rain season. Djoum is the seat of the subprefect, it has a health facility, primary schools and a lyceum, a large market, and most of the area is covered by mobile phone signal. Most importantly for us, though, one of four units of the ecoguards who protect the Dja biosphere reserve is stationed there.

“Everyone eats bushmeat,” ecoguard Tomi told us when we first met. “And almost everyone hunts. We cannot be overly strict with people but rather try to convince them to kill fewer animals and avoid hunting the most strictly protected species.”

Whereas three years ago, we had problems finding and photographing bushmeat in Yaoundé, it was completely different in Djoum this time. We were offered bushmeat for lunch even in the auberge we were staying in.

“Do you have some other kind of meat?” we asked.
“No,” was the answer.
“Can’t you get us chicken or something?”
“Sure, but… chicken is not meat, is it?”

Photos from the patrol are available in the article On duty with ecoguards.

The ecoguards face a Sisyphean task despite the fact that bushmeat isn’t always illegal. Cameroonian law defines three categories of animals and assigns them different levels of protection. For instance, duikers, which are small antelopes, and porcupines can be hunted for personal consumption. For many poor villagers, and the more for Pygmies, game is an important part of the diet.

“It’s vital to offer people alternative sources of income,” says Jean. “They need a different job than hunting, for instance in agriculture.”

However, not everyone hunts wild animals as a means of subsistence. The statement that “chicken is not meat” shows how strong local traditions are. And the traditions fuel bushmeat trade, which occurs on many different levels - from villagers improving their family budgets by selling antelope meat to big organised business likened to drug trafficking.

• The Revealed’s new initiative: SUPPORT THE ECOGUARDS!
  • We would like to provide basic necessities to rangers in the Dja biosphere reserve.
    We would like to supply boots, tents, binoculars and other equipment to men who risk their lives while protecting gorillas, elephants and other species against poachers.
  • You can help us by purchasing the Revealed-branded items in our online shop, or by sending money through Wildlifedirect or directly to the Revealed account. The payment details are as follows: Acc. no. 555 555 552/0800, IBAN: CZ35 0800 0000 0005 5555 5552.
  • If you are a producer or vendor of some of the above products and would like to contribute, please contact us. 

“There are people who make a living by trading in meat,” says ecoguard Jean. “They buy bushmeat cheaply here and sell it at a premium in Yaoundé or Douala. It is a source of income for them.”

Every month, the ecoguards’ road patrols check the papers of and issue summons to dozens of people who carry illegal amounts of bushmeat or protected species. They surprisingly often seize consignments of gorilla meat and ivory. However, an ordinary villager will not kill a gorilla or an elephant.

“You need an appropriate gun and go the reserve to hunt gorillas and elephants,” explains Tomi. “You also need to hire Pygmies who perfectly know how to get about in the forest. Not everyone hunts gorillas or elephants, only big poachers. It is them whom we pursue on our patrols in the forest.”

A patrol in the impenetrable tropical rainforest lasts for ten to fifteen days. It always includes four ecoguards, who are state officers but are not allowed to use firearms. That is why they are accompanied by one or more gendarmes. For every guard and gendarme there is one porter, so it is always ten or more people going to the jungle.

“We focus primarily on bais, clearings where animals come regularly for water and minerals,” says Jean. “Poachers lurk at those clearings. We usually arrest two or three of them on our fifteen-day patrol. There are many poachers in the forest and they are ready to shoot at us.”

And they do. One member of the Djoum unit was wounded by a gunshot and it took his colleagues forty-eight hours to get him medical care. The man lost a leg - which was due to their lack of any communication equipment to call for help. In fact, they even lack tents or solid boots…

The ecoguards represent one of few hopes for gorillas, elephants and other animal species in Dja. This is not only because they try to stop poachers and busmeat trade but mainly because they are some of the few people in the area who promote a different approach to wild animals, often risking their lives.

Would you like to learn more about the ecoguards, bushmeat trade, and our plans? Send us your questions.

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Category: About the project, Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, CD with gorilla stories, Cameroon | Date: Jun 04 2009 | By: therevealed

Miroslav Bobek, 4 June 2009

“She’s playing the young quite well! And the peacock, too…” producer Honza Jiran noted when choosing an actor for the French rendition of the gorilla fairy tales among 10 short-listed native speakers with more or less extensive acting experience. He eventually selected the one who interpreted the young and the peacock so nicely - Mélanie Ruppe.

After the success of the gorilla story book among schoolchildren in Cameroon (see Related Links in the category Book of gorilla fairy-tales) we decided to record a French rendition of the same as another way of helping children in Africa realise that gorillas deserve protection and that they, too, can help. (We should note that many people in Central Africa continue to perceive wild animals, including gorillas, as nothing more but a source of meat… I remember how surprise children in a forest village were to find out when browsing our book that a gorilla can have a name just like a human.)

• We prepare a publication of the book of Gorilla Stories for Congo. Without public subvention we can not develope this idea further. We would be glad if you contribute to achieve these efforts.

• The Revealed charitable account finances protection of western lowland gorillas and educational activities in al countries where this subspecies of gorilla lives in the wild. To support the cause, you can send your donation to 555 555 552/0800, IBAN: CZ35 0800 0000 0005 5555 5552 or donate through wildlifedirect.

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Category: About the project, Activities of The Revealed, Central African Republic, Gorillas in wild | Date: May 21 2009 | By: therevealed

M. Bobek, J. Jirátová, P. Hanzelková, 21 May 2009

Three years we observed gorillas in Prague Zoo. We wanted to present their stories so that people identify with them and understand how important is to help conservation of gorillas in wild. Like this we get to Africa. Within the project The Revealed we try to bring informations about african wildlife and its conservation but also raise funds for that purposes (as I wrote below, we published the Gorilla stories book, we supported educational project in villages north of Dja and now we would like to equip the ecoquards in Djoum).

During our trip to Africa we made a lot of  interviews with people who work in field and here is one of them… An interview with primatologist Daniela Hedwig.

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Category: Central African Republic, Forest Elephants | Date: May 12 2009 | By: therevealed

The Revealed, 11 May 2009

When we offered you the photogallery of forest elephants two weeks ago, we did not expect how they attract you. After our arrival from Africa, we launch forth the elephants once again – this time in global panoramatic view in the clearing.

By the way, do you know how many of elephants are there? :-) Try to count them! First three of you, who count them correctly and send us the answer on email odhaleni@rozhlas.cz until 18 May, get a little present.

You can look around the clearing by holding left mouse button and moving left and right. For zooming use cursor keys up and down.

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Category: Activities of The Revealed, Cameroon, Gorillas in Limbe Wildlife Centre, Live stream/video | Date: May 09 2009 | By: therevealed

Jana Jirátová, 9 May 2009

Thanks to our merchandise sale we have supported a primate sanctuary Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon. During our last expedition into Cameroon and Central African Republic  we get to know Adjibolo - the second youngest gorilla in the LWC. 

We have presented her story in Live Webcasts from LWC and a few days ago on our websites together with the rest of the troop that occupies the small enclosure. Now you have a chance to see here closely. We have produced a short video for you from materials that we have brought back from Africa. It clearly shows that Adjibolo is lively and playful despite her tragic fate. 

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