Primate Expertise Newsletter | June 2025
June 2025: A renewed momentum for Primate Conservation in Eastern DRC
In June 2025, Primate Expertise, with the support of its partner @Wild Earth Allies, took another step toward the fulfillment of its mission of protecting and conserving non-human primates and their habitats in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Thanks to the commitment of our teams and the close collaboration with local communities, we continue to make progress toward sustainable conservation of wildlife.
Welcome aboard!
1. New Talents
We were delighted to welcome two new members to our team on June 2, 2025! Their recruitment and integration are already strengthening our operational capabilities and field expertise.
Ms. Lyliane Bahati, Expert in @GALS (Gender Action Learning System), comes to give impetus to our program of support to the means of subsistence of communities. She will sensitize them to transform their economic vision into a reality, in all fairness and equality of all. Mr. Jimmy Neema Bagula is our current Communication Officer. With his experience in the development and implementation of communication strategies, we will improve our image, our visibility and our communication with the various stakeholders of the actions of @pex.
This new skill set is essential to the success of our projects and to expanding our positive impact in the @Albertine Rift region. Their dynamism is already palpable, and we look forward to seeing them fully contribute to our initiatives.
2. Launch of the Ecological Riverbank Ten meter Restoration Project: A strong partnership with the communities
Strategic meeting on the ecological restoration of 10m of riverbank in Idjwi with community representatives
Another key moment this month was the strategic meeting with local leaders in Idjwi. This meeting marked the official launch of our ecological restoration project on ten meters of shoreline on Idjwi Island. This inclusive project, supported by the entire Idjwi island community, is carried out in close collaboration with landowners whose fields are located on the shore of Lake Kivu, and aims to restore aquatic habitats and strengthen the island’s environmental resilience.
As part of this project, the first bamboo nurseries are being installed in the six counties of the Idjwi territory, the first nursery having been set up in Maganga in Bugarula county, Rubenga chiefdom on June 24, 2025. This step concretizes our participatory approach and our commitment to working hand in hand with the inhabitants for sustainable solutions. Transparency and constant dialogue with the communities are at the heart of our approach, guaranteeing local ownership and the sustainability of the actions undertaken as is the case here with the bamboo approach. To carry out this project which raises a lot of hope within the community, Primate Expertise and its partners need much more technical and financial resources.
3. At the heart of research: « Human-Wildlife Conflict » Conference at the Official University of Bukavu
Primate Expertise was honored to participate in the scientific conference on « Human-Wildlife Conflict » at the Official University of Bukavu. This participation underscores our commitment to scientific research and our desire to share our experience to find innovative solutions to the complex challenges of human-wildlife coexistence. Our Research and Conservation teams were able to exchange ideas with other national and international experts who were invited to this conference. It was also an opportunity to enrich our knowledge of best practices in human-wildlife conflict management.
4. A book that tells everything about the biodiversity of the Idjwi-Nyamusisi Nature Reserve
This book was just published by Primate Expertise at Éditions Universitaires Européennes in June 2025. Indeed, the @Idjwi-Nyamusisi Nature Reserve, located on Idjwi Island at the heart of Lake Kivu, abounds with an ecosystem of exceptional biological richness, but it faces considerable threats due to human activities. In February and October 2024, with the support of our partner @Wild Earth Allies, Primate Expertise, in collaboration with research institutions and local communities, organized multidisciplinary inventories. These inventories aimed to establish an initial baseline database for the biodiversity of this newly created reserve. This book brings together the results of these studies, covering plants, macroinvertebrates, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It also highlights the importance of these inventories for biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management. For more information, visit the site via this link: https://morebooks.de/shop-ui/shop/product/9786206736844
5. Strengthening partnerships: Joint meeting between Kahuzi Biega National Park and Primate Expertise
Held on June 19, 2025, the joint meeting with the PNKB (Kahuzi-Biega National Park) was a valuable opportunity to consolidate our strategic partnership. This collaboration is essential to maximize our impact and harmonize our conservation efforts at the regional level. The participation of the Community Conservation component (COCO) of the PNKB in the actions carried out by Primate Expertise in support of the livelihoods of communities living near protected areas is one of the resolutions resulting from this meeting.
Indeed, by working with major stakeholders like the PNKB, we can expand our efforts and ensure more effective protection of non-human primates and their habitats in our areas of operation.
Primate Expertise’s experience is built every day in the field, thanks to the dedication of our teams and the trust of our communities. We thank you for your continued support in our crucial mission.