Congo communities create massive wildlife corridor to reconnect fragmented forests and protect endangered gorillas

A conservationist whose family was once displaced to create a national park is now leading an ambitious effort to build a 1-million-hectare wildlife corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo—but this time, he’s ensuring local communities benefit alongside the wildlife.

Dominique Bikaba, who champions the protection of endangered gorillas in the Congo Basin’s rainforests, is spearheading the creation of a massive biodiversity corridor connecting Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve. The 2.5-million-acre corridor would allow species to move safely between the two protected areas while providing economic opportunities for local communities through legally secured community forestry concessions.

Despite ongoing conflict in eastern Congo between the government and M23 armed group that has slowed progress, the project has already secured more than half of its target area. Local authorities have embraced the initiative, recognizing its potential to restore both wildlife populations and community livelihoods in a region where conservation efforts have historically displaced indigenous peoples.

“The corridor is about conserving a block of forest between the two protected areas, allowing species to move safely from one place to another,” Bikaba explains. “It’s for restoring these landscapes and wildlife in the region, but also to promote the livelihoods of these communities.” This community-centered approach represents a shift toward more equitable conservation practices that acknowledge the rights and needs of people who have called these forests home for generations.