Ecoguards from Djoum: Risking their Lives
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.
Gorilla Fairy Tales ON AIR in Africa
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.
Playful Adjibolo
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.
On Duty with Ecoguards (Illegal Bushmeat Thrives in Cameroon)
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Bushmeat, Cameroon, Ecoguard | Date: Apr 30 2009 | By: therevealed
Miroslav Bobek, 30 April 2009
“Yesterday, a road patrol seized gorilla hands and pieces of gorilla meat,” we were told by ecoguard Tomi when we stopped by the ECOFAC office in Djoum. We are back in Cameroon, south of the Dja biosphere reserve. We are in an area that generously supplies Yaoundé and other cities with bushmeat. Twelve ECOFAC officers stationed in Djoum are supposed to throttle or curb the supply. As our photo report suggests, it is a futile effort…
(You can expect more on the topic plus very sincere interviews with ecoguards after we return from Africa.)
ATTENTION! THE CONTENT HEREINAFTER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR VIEWING BY CHILDREN!
It is dark outside and we are hiding with ecoguards in a hut some fifteen kilometres to the east of Djoum. Tomi is waiting – and we are waiting with him.
Hunting of some species (apes, elephants, crocodiles etc.) is strictly prohibited, while others can be hunted for private needs. Violations of the law are punishable with hefty fines and prison sentences. The boy in the checked shirt has been caught red-handed before but being juvenile, he escaped unpunished.
Ecoguards are now state officers. That grants them a salary and pension but not sufficient equipment. They wear worn-out shoes and uniforms (with the exception of Tomi who bought a new uniform with his own money).
The owner of the bushmeat has been caught three times before. And he is again carrying meat either for sale or for a client. Clients are usually well-off people from the city who order bushmeat from village hunters. They give the hunter ten shells and ask for pieces of game. The hunter can keep the remaining five shells as a reward…
The consignment includes even the most strictly protected species. Bushmeat is not just a subject of trade but most often part of the daily diet. When we asked pre-school children in a Baka Pygmy village whether they had ever eaten gorilla meat, four fifths of them raised their hands.
A poacher hunted the game early in the morning but in the hot tropical climate, it is already attracting flies. Ecoguards will sell it later in the afternoon in a public auction. The proceeds will go to the state coffers.
Bushmeat is cheap in Djoum but the price grows on its way to Yaoundé or another large city. Countering the illegal trade are ecoguards as well as patrols of the Ministere des Forets et de la Faune and gendarmerie.
“I didn’t know this was forbidden,” said the driver. He probably lied; yet there is a certain difference between him and the poacher whom the ecoguards caught two hours ago. They seized the game from both of them, checked their papers, and handed them subpoenas.
You can see more photos from our reportage on The Revealed website.
Help us to fight against busmeat trade! Help us to educate local people! Your donation supports our conservational efforts…
Fairy-Tale Books and a CD
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, CD with gorilla stories, Cameroon | Date: Apr 10 2009 | By: therevealed
Miroslav Bobek, 8 April 2009
Dorothy Matute, the headmistress of the Bonadikombo school, visited us in our hotel in Limbe, Cameroon. She was the first to obtain a CD with an audio rendition of gorilla fairy- tales from our book ‘L´histoire des Gorilles’ in French recorded by Jan Jiran.
The idea behind the CD is similar to that of the book - to spark interest in gorillas and environmental protection among African children. We are going to distribute it for free to schools and make it available also to local radio stations.
Listen to a story about a white gorilla from our French-language CD. Download link
Letters from Cameroonian Schoolchildren
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, Cameroon | Date: Apr 09 2009 | By: therevealed
Jana Jirátová, 9 April 2009
The Revealed has been aiming several years to support protection of western lowland gorillas in Central Africa. First we financially supported a primate rescue centre in Limbe but then decided to carry out a project of our own.
We published a book of fairy-tales about gorillas in English and French and distributed it to schoolchildren in Cameroon. Having been eagerly awaiting responses from children for five months, we have now learned how they liked our book.
Children in Cameroon love gorilla baby Moja
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, Cameroon, Gorillas in Prague Zoo | Date: Apr 08 2009 | By: therevealed
Miroslav Bobek, April 8 2009
A few days ago, just after our arrival to the Limbe Wildlife Centre, Simone de Vries gave us two folders: the thinner one contained completed questionnaires, while the thicker one contained letters from children to Czech Radio, The Revealed, a mysterious person name Miralan Bobeko, or all three of them at the same time. They were reactions to the book of gorilla fairy-tales that the Revealed project published half a year ago for children in Cameroon and that was distributed by LWC.
Gorilla fairy tales
Category: About the project, Activities of The Revealed, Book of gorilla fairy-tales, CD with gorilla stories, Cameroon | Date: Apr 08 2009 | By: therevealed
Miroslav Bobek, 27 March 2009
When visiting Cameroon in the spring of 2006 we realised that the best way to protect gorillas is to show the locals their beauty and intelligence. And when we published the first book of “gorilla” fairy tales, a little later in the Czech Republic, in which Moja naturally is the heroine, we weren’t far off from the idea to modify this book for African conditions and to distribute it at local schools.
Our goal was fulfilled last year in cooperation with the Limbe Wildlife Centre and eventually with a number of other organisations and individuals. Two thousand copies of the book were printed in French and two thousand copies in English reached Cameroon in November and were distributed free of charge during the first few weeks of this year (more in the article by Jana Jirátové here). The books were distributed by nature conservationists not only by vehicles, but also on motorcycles in rainforest regions…
After the Second Broadcast
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Cameroon, Gorillas in Limbe Wildlife Centre, Live stream/video | Date: Apr 07 2009 | By: therevealed
Miroslav Bobek, 7 April 2009
I am trying to imagine what a TV show about the Limbe Wildlife Centre would look like. It would depend on the producers yet I believe it would be less authentic and contain less footage of gorillas than our two live webcasts despite all the mistakes we made. Internet and new technologies offered us an excellent opportunity to show the public what we wanted, live, without any additional touches, using technology that we have brought with us in our backpacks…
As for the aforementioned mistakes, let me give one example: it is not three but five thousand kilometres from here to Prague as the crow flies… I am not saying this is a negligible detail but truth is we had many things to deal with simultaneously… Nevertheless, as we can judge from reactions that have reached Limbe, our online transmissions were a success. This has encouraged us to consider another live webcast but not from LWC. More on that after Easter.
Internet broadcasts from the Limbe Wildlife Centre
Category: Activities of The Revealed, Cameroon, Gorillas in Limbe Wildlife Centre, Live stream/video | Date: Apr 07 2009 | By: therevealed
We have prepared two live internet broadcasts from the Limbe Wildlife
Centre in Cameroon as a part of The Revealed Project (www.rozhlas.cz/therevealed).
The aim of the project is to support protection of gorillas in central
Africa.
You can click here to see the first broadcast and here to see the second broadcast.
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100% of your donation, minus a small bank fee, will go to your intended purpose.
Donations made here are safe.
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Donations Received
- Aug 20th Pirjo I. USD44.00
- Jul 20th Pirjo I. USD44.00
- Jun 4th Wanda H. USD22.00
- May 1st Richard F. USD82.50
- Apr 30th Paula B. USD11.00
- Apr 7th Ofer K. USD1.95
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The Revealed
Partners of Year of the Gorilla.
The Revealed was a project of Czech Radio. It was a parody on Big Brother, where contestants were not humans but Western Lowland Gorillas from Prague Zoo. The aim of the project was to inform public about gorilla's way of living and a need of their protection. The show is over, but activities of The Revealed team continue - we develop conservational activities in central Africa.
All funds raised on this blog will benefit gorilla conservation projects. Look into the donation box. You can support our efforts also by buying some of the product from our e-shop.
We have already supported primates sanctuary Limbe Wildlife Centre, educational project on the north of Dja Reserve in Cameroon. We published Book of Gorilla Fairy-tales which was distributed free of charge into cameroonian schools and which should help to increase awareness of conservation.
We prepared also an audio recording of these fairy tales. The CD "Histoires de Gorilles" will be broadcast in cameroonian Radios.
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Links
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