African Parks publishes collector’s edition on Garamba National Park

African Parks is pleased to announce the publication of a collectors’ edition on Garamba National Park in the DRC. Titled, Garamba Conservation in Peace & War, the book chronicles the park’s rich heritage and its conservation achievements and challenges over the course of the past 100 years.

Flying in over Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) visitors are immediately struck by the size of the park, by the vast green plains dotted with sausage trees and the oxbow bends of the meandering Dungu River. Mostly though it is the abundance that is spellbinding - the herds of up to 400 elephants, the imposing groups of buffaloes that stretch in every direction and the crashes of hippos bobbing along the surface of the park’s rivers and swamps. All of this and more has been documented in the 448 pages that make up the book.

Readers will be fascinated to learn about Garamba’s colourful origins, the scientific research that has been conducted in the park, the beauty of its ecosystem, the elephant domestication programmes, the park’s relationship with communities surrounding it and the experiences and dedication of staff who have worked there over the decades. Deserving particular mention, is the role played by Belgian Colonel, Pierre Offerman, who was instrumental in the establishment of the park.

The realities of Garamba’s poaching crises, abuse at the hands of rebel armies, and the ongoing volatility caused by difficult neighbours in the region have not been overlooked. Throughout it all however the book succeeds in capturing the survival factors that have enabled the park to withstand major threats, often against seemingly insurmountable odds. It also acknowledges the benefits of the African Parks public private partnership model with the ICCN (Congolese wildlife authority) in safeguarding the future of this important national park and the pivotal role played by the European Union as the major institutional funder of the park.

"We are proud to be the publishers of this collectors’ item on one of Africa’s iconic national parks. Garamba Conservation in Peace & War is a worthy tribute to a unique national park and highlights why it merits all efforts to continue protecting it,” said Peter Fearnhead, African Parks CEO.

If you are interested in buying a copy of the book, please contact us on [email protected] and we will revert to you on pricing and postage.