Wildlife Law Enforcement
Each WCS-Congo project ensures that the protected areas and buffer zones that they manage in partnership with the Government of Congo are effectively protected from poaching and illegal human activity. These anti-poaching activities are undertaken by a cadre of ecoguards and Government officers, who operate under the direct supervision and authority of staff from the Ministry of Forestry Economy and the Environment (MFEE).
Anti-poaching strategies differ from one area to the next, and depend on the local context and threats which exist. Ecoguards are typically deployed at either fixed posts, such as control posts on roads and other transport axes, or on mobile patrols, which are deployed at strategic points and move by foot, vehicle or boat.
Ecoguards are recruited from the local communities, and attend regular formal training courses, where they receive instruction from local authorities and wildlife management experts on all aspects of wildlife law enforcement, professional conduct regulations, procedures in working with local communities, techniques for monitoring efforts, and other related skills.