Monitoring law enforcement effort and illegal activity in selected protected areas: implications for management and conservation, Democratic Republic of Congo

–Leonard Mubalama-Kakira (UGent) (2010)

Poaching remains a sensitive and controversial issue, especially amidst a diversity of combined political upheaval and economic turmoil when biodiversity is being lost at an accelerated rate resulting in some of charismatic species becoming plummeted amidst the wave of illegal offtake caused by a number of factors acting in concert. Overall, defaunation and habitat encroachment viewed largely as a function of human action were the two major factors that caused contraction of large herbivores in both the Kahuzi-Biega and Virunga National Parks. These two show pieces of conservation areas are still grappling with ever-growing population growth in a region where conflict over ownership and control of land and its natural resources poses daunting impediments to community-based development making it more difficult to secure sustainable solutions.