A senior CNN investigative team visited Odzala-Kokoua National Park late last year to report on African Parks’ ground-breaking amnesty programme for former poachers, the role of the Chinese in illegal ivory trading and the conservation of elephants and gorillas in and around the park.
The CNN team headed by senior international correspondent Arwa Damon and producer Brent Swails produced five news reports for CNN TV International and a half-hour documentary special on the conservation of Odzala’s gorillas and elephants for CNN Inside Africa. The news segments have been posted on the CNN website. Here follow the details:
Fighting Elephant Poachers: The discovery of a poachers’ camp by the African Parks anti-poaching unit at Odzala-Kokoua as the CNN group were travelling down the river, during the course of which the CNN team was fired at.
The Poachers’ Arrest: The tracking of the poachers using the mobile phone that was discovered in the abandoned poachers’ camp and which provided an invaluable trail to the poachers’ network.
The Chinese Camp: An overall look at Yengo check-point, the concentration of Chinese in the region, and their involvement in illegal ivory trading and/poaching.
The Congo’s Pygmies: The ground-breaking Amnesty Programme for former poachers at Odzala, including a Pygmy member, and their marginalised position as a group in the Congo.
The Garden of Eden: Discover the mosaic of canopy forest and spectacular biodiversity that makes up Odzala-Kokoua National Park plus the challenges faced in protecting its wildlife, particularly western lowland gorillas and elephants.
Behind the Scenes: Senior CNN correspondent Arwa Damon is interviewed live in London by her colleagues on the challenges faced by the team on assignment in Odzala and the core issues facing the park.
The half-hour conservation documentary on Odzala-Kokoua National Park on CNN’s Inside Africa Programme has not yet been scheduled.