Posted on April, 22 2025

These tools were seized over the past three years by eco-guards during forest patrols. Their public destruction aims not only to strengthen law enforcement but also to raise awareness among local communities about the importance of wildlife conservation.

Wire snares pose a serious threat to biodiversity. They kill animals indiscriminately including endangered species such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and pangolins.

Dzanga Sangha, a natural jewel of the Congo Basin, is home to exceptional biodiversity, including forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and many other iconic species. Every year, hundreds of visitors come to experience the richness of this protected area, which is a source of pride for the Central African Republic and an important source of income for local and Indigenous communities.

“The number of snares and firearms we have seized shows just how serious the threat is,” said Mr. Gervais Mbata, Minister of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing.

“But it also demonstrates our determination to protect this reserve and to take firm action against poaching.”
He reminded everyone that Dzanga Sangha is part of the vast Congo Basin ecosystem, regarded as the second lung of the planet after the Amazon.

“If we destroy these forests and the animals that live in them, we are putting humanity itself at risk,” he warned, calling on residents and local authorities to mobilize against poaching.

This message was echoed by Ms. Ngola Marie Françoise Ramadan Mamata, Minister of Arts, Culture, and Tourism: “We must protect this magnificent park. If the animals disappear, it will harm tourism, which brings revenue to the country as well as to local and Indigenous communities,” she stated.
“Animals are what give the forest its soul. Without them, it loses its beauty.”