Chinko

About

The Chinko Project sustainably manages a nature reserve in the heart of Africa – one of the last pristine mosaics of wooded savannah and tropical lowland rainforest deep within the Central African Republic. This project goes beyond conservation, it represents hope for stability and governance in one of the poorest regions on earth with an endless history of corruption, depletion of natural resources and military conflicts.

We are passionate about Africa – for both its wildlife and people – and believe there is a way for both to coexist. The Chinko Project, as a governing body, supports local communities, protects the ecosystem, and maintains economic value through tourism – providing the key to a sustainable future for this thriving ecosystem.

Chinko Project is a proud member of African Parks

People

The Central African people — mostly smallholder farmers living in the villages sedentary to the Chinko nature reserve, and transhumant herdsmen trespassing with their livestock to access the meat markets in Bangui — are among the poorest on the continent.

The Chinko Project offers an income and stability to many of these families, and through the support of schooling programs offer children a chance for learning not possible until now.

Emelie teaching a class in Bakouma

Bakouma school children

Villager of Bakouma preparing peanut butter

Threats & Actions

Currently, the Chinko Project Area's ecosystem faces two major pressures:

1. Armed Sudanese Herdsmen with cattle herds of more than 1,000 each travel through the area allowing their animals to graze – contributing to long-term habitat depletion and putting immediate stress on the wildlife.

   Some actively attempt to clear the area of predators that could endanger their livestock, while others have discovered the economic benefit of poaching and drying bush meat to trade at Sudanese markets.

2. Ivory poachers usually comprised of Sudanese professionals and rebel groups, threaten the small herd of surviving forest elephants in the region.

Herdsmen of the livestock corridor

Remains of a poached waterbuck

Herdsmen

To reduce such pressures, we take the following actions:

1. Conduct Research to better understand the complexities and trade chains underlying bush meat and ivory trade from Chinko to Sudan.

2. Provide Incentives for the herdsmen to pass through a designated livestock corridor as quickly as possible.

3. Inform herdsmen about non-harmful possibilities of protecting their livestock against predators.

4. Build capacity by training and deploying Central African park rangers and supporting local school programs educating people about the value of wildlife.

5. Monitor & Patrol the area with advanced surveillance strategies.

6. Detect & disarm poaching infringers inside the nature reserve and hand them over to the next state authority.