Okapi Conservation Project

Founded1987
FounderJohn Lukas
TypeNon-profit Organization
FocusOkapi Conservation
Location
Area served
Ituri Forest
Websiteokapiconservation.org/

The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was founded in 1987 for the protection of the okapis (Okapia johnstoni) and their habitat. Okapis are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo[1] and are seen as the major flagship species of the Ituri Forest.[2] The OCP has about one hundred staff members and one hundred and ten government rangers under the direction of the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature. The Okapi Conservation Project is partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Network.[3] OCP's founder John Lukas is also a founding member of the Wildlife Conservation Network.[4] In 1992 the project helped create the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, encompassing 13,700 square kilometers of the Ituri Forest, which was designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1996.[1][5]

  1. ^ a b "Okapi Conservation Project". Wildlife Conservation Network.
  2. ^ "Okapi Conservation Project". African Conservation Foundation.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Okapi Conservation Project". Wildlife Conservation Network.
  4. ^ "WCN Board of Directors". Wildlife Conservation Network.
  5. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre (1992–2017). "Okapi Wildlife Reserve". Retrieved 2017-10-27.