CONGO TRIP 2010
Introduction
Since my trip to Cameroon I have been planning to go back to Africa. The recent opening of the Basenji stud book by the AKC to allow the registration of new imports provided even more incentive to go back. I have been looking into possibly going to the same area where Kindu and Kasenyi were found. After contacting several people who have been in the northern Republic of Congo their reports on the dogs were not encouraging. They wrote that some areas still have barkless dogs but most of the region has dogs that bark. Brenda suggested I look into going further east into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I was looking for an area where imports had not come out previously, there wasn't an ongoing conflict, and a there is population of dogs with basenji type and character and the possibility of little or no foreign dogs having been introduced. The Bradt Travel guide for the Congo pointed me to an the middle area (Congo Basin) which was described by them as having the least infrastructure, few foreigners, and untouched wilderness. They described two parks in this area, the Salonga park which is divided into two parts, and the Lomako reserve which was created in 2006 to protect the Bonobos living there. Dr. Jo Thompson has been studying the Bonobos in the southern Salonga Park. She has brought out several Basenjis, the Lukuru Basenjis, from this area. My attention turned to the Lomako Reserve, an area where no Basenjis are known to have been imported from. I thought this might have some similarities with the Salonga Park, being somewhat remote and possibly off the beaten path. I found out that there is a Kinshasa based travel company, Gocongo, that has excursions to the reserve to see the Bonobos. They fly out of Kinshasa to Basankusu, and from there it is a three to four day trip in a motorized pirogue up the Maringa and Lomako rivers to the reserve.
Lomako-Lokokola Reserve
The Lomako reserve was created after years of negotiations by the African Wildlife Foundation, the Congo government and the local people. The reserve is located just south of the Congo river where it makes its great curve.
Lomako Reserve location in the DRCSince my trip to Cameroon I have been planning to go back to Africa. The recent opening of the Basenji stud book by the AKC to allow the registration of new imports provided even more incentive to go back. I have been looking into possibly going to the same area where Kindu and Kasenyi were found. After contacting several people who have been in the northern Republic of Congo their reports on the dogs were not encouraging. They wrote that some areas still have barkless dogs but most of the region has dogs that bark. Brenda suggested I look into going further east into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I was looking for an area where imports had not come out previously, there wasn't an ongoing conflict, and a there is population of dogs with basenji type and character and the possibility of little or no foreign dogs having been introduced. The Bradt Travel guide for the Congo pointed me to an the middle area (Congo Basin) which was described by them as having the least infrastructure, few foreigners, and untouched wilderness. They described two parks in this area, the Salonga park which is divided into two parts, and the Lomako reserve which was created in 2006 to protect the Bonobos living there. Dr. Jo Thompson has been studying the Bonobos in the southern Salonga Park. She has brought out several Basenjis, the Lukuru Basenjis, from this area. My attention turned to the Lomako Reserve, an area where no Basenjis are known to have been imported from. I thought this might have some similarities with the Salonga Park, being somewhat remote and possibly off the beaten path. I found out that there is a Kinshasa based travel company, Gocongo, that has excursions to the reserve to see the Bonobos. They fly out of Kinshasa to Basankusu, and from there it is a three to four day trip in a motorized pirogue up the Maringa and Lomako rivers to the reserve.
Lomako-Lokokola Reserve
The Lomako reserve was created after years of negotiations by the African Wildlife Foundation, the Congo government and the local people. The reserve is located just south of the Congo river where it makes its great curve.
Several
research groups from Japan, Germany, and the U.S. have been studying
the
Bonobos in the Lomako forest since 1973. In 1997 Dr. Frances
White as well as other researches
had to leave when the first Congo War broke out. It wasn't until 2005
that Dr. White could return. Because of the war, they found on their
return that the roads were
impassable to anything but motorbikes. The bridges had fallen down and
shipping, except by pirogue, had halted in the area. The only means to
get up into the Lomako reserve at this time is by motorized pirouge.
Camp N'dele is the reserve research and ecotourist center. It is currently
being improved with new building and facilities for
ecotourism as well as for the researchers. An internet satellite
connection was set up the end of last year.
The Ntombe, who are part of the Mongo ethnic group, have villages on the south bank of the river along the reserve boundary. They provide labor, park rangers, and food for the reserve.
Very few roads approach the reserve in the south. There is only one in the southwest corner that ends across the river at Lingunda. In the north and northwestern edge of the park logging roads were built. These are currently not being used for logging but do provide access for illegal logging and acquiring bushmeat. Unlike the Maringa river, oil palm plantations were never developed along the Lomako river. Currently these plantations are not in operation since the beginning of the Congo war. During the war the people had to resort to hunting bushmeat because argriculture products could not be brought to market. There was also enchroachment of other people in the east and west into the area that would become the reserve. One these groups was the Ngombe people who are considered good hunters. The AWF is now trying to reduce hunting by encouraging a return to agriculture. They are providing a means to get products to market by running a barge up the Maringa river to gather agriculture products.
The Dogs along the Maringa/Lomako and nearby river systems
Migration route of the Mongo people's ancestors
I have found a few pictures of dogs in the Congo Basin in the area where the Mongo people live. In the book, "And We Ate Leopard: Serving in the Belgian Congo", there is picture (1940 or 50s) of a Mongo boy along the Tshuapa river, the next river system south of the Maringa river, holding a Basenji. To see the picture type "dog" in the search field, click the go button, and select page 60. A website on bells has a photo of a Basenji with a hunting bell (elefo) taken in 1958 in the Equateur province. To see the complete webpage click here which includes more pictures of dogs and hunting bells. The Mongo use the word elefo for dog bell. The Lukuru Basenjis imported 2006 are within the southernmost range of the Mongo peoples area of expansion.
Although these photos give an idea of what we could expect in the Maringa/Lomako river basin I wanted more information and pictures directly from the area. I contacted Dr. Frances White who was in the Lomako reserve in the 1990's and 2005. She said, "There are very few non-Basenji dogs in the forest and the dogs do not bark (but they do sing). Yes, our guides do hunt with them, using wooden dogs bells (I have an old one - I always thought it surprisingly big for such a small dog) and they hunt with them in the swamps, primarily for the small swamp ungulates, like chevrotain." I also contacted Gladez Shorland. She is currently at the reserve until June 2009. She says they don't allow dogs in the reserve but wrote March 7, 2009, "what I have been told there are some in the villages around the lomako, especially where there are hunters present,...". Bryan Gregory brought to my attention a Gocongo photo, in their Lomako tour album, of Two Basenjis (one is under the wooden tripod) and natives taken March 2007. This was probably photographed in the first village, along the Maringa River, they stopped for an ovenight stay. Click on "origineel" located in the upper left of the window to enlarging the picture. You will see that these Basenjis are small like earlier imports.
An article written by Hiroaki Sato describes the Boyela people's (Mongo subgroup) hunting methods, including how they use their dogs. The Boyela live to the southeast of the Lomako reserve on the Tshuapa river system. The methods used here are very similar to what is practiced along the Lomako river.
Preliminary Travel Itinerary
Bryan and Laurie Gregory, Lisa Saban, and I will be fellow travelers on this adventure. Gocongo will be used to facilitate our trip to the reserve. They have pdf brochure describing the trip and what they provide and the cost in Euros. We are flying into and out of Casablanca, Morocco to avoid going through any of the EU countries due to tougher regulations on the transport of dogs into and through Europe. Gocongo has a photo gallery that gives you an idea what to expect when traveling up the Maringa and Lomako river. Gladez Shorland is at the reserve and has been blogging about her research and the reserve. Her December 2008 blogs talk about Camp N'dele and includes pictures.
Each night tents are setup in the native village.
Mon 15 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Tue 16 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Wed 17 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Thu 18 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Fri 19 – Arrive at Camp N’dele (Lomako Reserve)
Sat 20 – Visit reserve.
Sun 21 – Visit reserve.
Mon 22 – Visit reserve.
Tue 23 – Travel down river and visit villages
Wed 24 – Travel down river and visit villages
Thu 25 – Travel down river and visit villages
Fri 26 – Travel down river and visit villages
Sat 27 – Arrive back at Basankusu (overnight stay)
Sun 28 – We will fly back to Kinshasa. Dogs will be transferred to Michel's house to stay.
March
Mon 1 – Pickup dogs from Michels house for vet visit (Clinique Veterinaire Kinoise). Confirm flight. Return dogs back to Michel's house.
Tue 2 – Visit Mausoleum de Kabila, Marché des Voleurs (Art), Symphonie Des Arts, Rapids of Kinsuka, ect. Visit dogs at Michel's house.
I will leave from Brazzaville at 11:50PM.
Wed 3 – Visit Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary. Visit dogs at Michel's house.
Thu 4 – Pickup dogs from Michel's house. Get ready to leave.
Fri 5 – Leave Kinshasa at 3:10AM. Arrive Casablanca 10:25AM, fly to NY at 11:25AM, arrive NY at 2:45PM. Fly on to Seattle at 7:30PM on Delta.
Carbon Offsets
This trip will produce an estimated 8.6 tons of CO2 per person. We will be purchasing some carbon offsets (click here to learn more).
Sources
Congo: Democratic Republic - Republic. Bradt Travel Guide by Sean Rorison, 2008.
The Mongo of the Congo Cuvette Centrale: A Cultural Analysis. Richard Taylor. Dept. of Africa and Jamaica, Division of World Mission, The United Christian Missionary Society. 1967.
L'Ethnie Mongo, Vol. I. Van Der Kerken, G. Bruxelles: Institut Royal Colonial Belge, Section des Sciences Morales et Politiiques, Memoires, Tome XIII. 1944.
The Ntombe, who are part of the Mongo ethnic group, have villages on the south bank of the river along the reserve boundary. They provide labor, park rangers, and food for the reserve.
Very few roads approach the reserve in the south. There is only one in the southwest corner that ends across the river at Lingunda. In the north and northwestern edge of the park logging roads were built. These are currently not being used for logging but do provide access for illegal logging and acquiring bushmeat. Unlike the Maringa river, oil palm plantations were never developed along the Lomako river. Currently these plantations are not in operation since the beginning of the Congo war. During the war the people had to resort to hunting bushmeat because argriculture products could not be brought to market. There was also enchroachment of other people in the east and west into the area that would become the reserve. One these groups was the Ngombe people who are considered good hunters. The AWF is now trying to reduce hunting by encouraging a return to agriculture. They are providing a means to get products to market by running a barge up the Maringa river to gather agriculture products.
The Dogs along the Maringa/Lomako and nearby river systems
The dogs living in the Congo Basin arrived with the
Bantu people just under 2000 years ago. Approximately
5000 years ago the Bantu peoples culture, language, and economy
developed in the vicinity of the Cross river valley near the border of
Nigeria and Cameroon. Population growth probably initiated one of the
greatest human migrations. The area to the west and north was already
occupied by other groups. This left the east and south the only
options for expansion. Approximately 3500 years ago a Bantu group
traveling south
reached the equatorial rainforest. Some travelled along the coast while
others travelled inland along the rivers flowing south, such as the
Ubangi, Congo, and Kwango. The Bantu settled along the these river
valleys, leaving the interior area of the seasonally inundated
rainforest to the pygmies. After reaching the southern boundary of the
rainforest, approximately 2500 years ago, they headed east along the
rainforest and moist woodland boundary. When they reached the Lualaba
river they turned north, staying on the eastern bank which was higher
ground, and reached the the Aruwimi river approximately 2000 years ago.
They found the area around the confluence of the Congo and Aruwimi was
an advantageous location and it became a new population center. It is
from this group that the Mongo language and culture developed. As the
population grew they spread in a southwesterly direction into the Congo
Basin, settling first along rivers and fishing, and then other
groups settled further in the forest to hunt and grow yams. Around 1000
AD bananas and plantains were acquired after coming from southeast asia
to the Egyptian and the Red Sea coast of Africa. The introduction of
the banana which grew well in the rainforest helped the Mongo
population grow even more, but they still depended on trapping,
collecting, and hunting. For some reason, possibly because they were so
few, no pygmoids survive as an independent community in the
Congo
Basin and were probably absorbed by the Mongo.
Migration route of the Mongo people's ancestors
I have found a few pictures of dogs in the Congo Basin in the area where the Mongo people live. In the book, "And We Ate Leopard: Serving in the Belgian Congo", there is picture (1940 or 50s) of a Mongo boy along the Tshuapa river, the next river system south of the Maringa river, holding a Basenji. To see the picture type "dog" in the search field, click the go button, and select page 60. A website on bells has a photo of a Basenji with a hunting bell (elefo) taken in 1958 in the Equateur province. To see the complete webpage click here which includes more pictures of dogs and hunting bells. The Mongo use the word elefo for dog bell. The Lukuru Basenjis imported 2006 are within the southernmost range of the Mongo peoples area of expansion.
Although these photos give an idea of what we could expect in the Maringa/Lomako river basin I wanted more information and pictures directly from the area. I contacted Dr. Frances White who was in the Lomako reserve in the 1990's and 2005. She said, "There are very few non-Basenji dogs in the forest and the dogs do not bark (but they do sing). Yes, our guides do hunt with them, using wooden dogs bells (I have an old one - I always thought it surprisingly big for such a small dog) and they hunt with them in the swamps, primarily for the small swamp ungulates, like chevrotain." I also contacted Gladez Shorland. She is currently at the reserve until June 2009. She says they don't allow dogs in the reserve but wrote March 7, 2009, "what I have been told there are some in the villages around the lomako, especially where there are hunters present,...". Bryan Gregory brought to my attention a Gocongo photo, in their Lomako tour album, of Two Basenjis (one is under the wooden tripod) and natives taken March 2007. This was probably photographed in the first village, along the Maringa River, they stopped for an ovenight stay. Click on "origineel" located in the upper left of the window to enlarging the picture. You will see that these Basenjis are small like earlier imports.
An article written by Hiroaki Sato describes the Boyela people's (Mongo subgroup) hunting methods, including how they use their dogs. The Boyela live to the southeast of the Lomako reserve on the Tshuapa river system. The methods used here are very similar to what is practiced along the Lomako river.
Preliminary Travel Itinerary
Bryan and Laurie Gregory, Lisa Saban, and I will be fellow travelers on this adventure. Gocongo will be used to facilitate our trip to the reserve. They have pdf brochure describing the trip and what they provide and the cost in Euros. We are flying into and out of Casablanca, Morocco to avoid going through any of the EU countries due to tougher regulations on the transport of dogs into and through Europe. Gocongo has a photo gallery that gives you an idea what to expect when traveling up the Maringa and Lomako river. Gladez Shorland is at the reserve and has been blogging about her research and the reserve. Her December 2008 blogs talk about Camp N'dele and includes pictures.
Each night tents are setup in the native village.
February
Mon 8 - Bryan, Laurie and Lisa will leave Seattle at 6:35AM on Delta, arrive JFK at 3:05PM. Fly to Casablanca at 7:01PM from NY.
Tue 9 - Arrive Casablanca at 7:40AM. Travel by train to Marrakesh.
Wed 10 – Stay in Marrakesh.
Thu 11 – Return to Casablanca. Fly to Kinshasa at 5:10PM, arrive Kinshasa early morning (2:20AM) (stay overnight)
Fri 12 – See Kinshasa , get money exchanged, stay overnight. I leave Seattle at 6:35AM on Delta, arrive JFK at 3:05PM. Fly to Casablanca at 7:01PM from NY.
Sat 13 – Goto Brazzaville by ferry and possibly visit
Basilique St. Anne, Temple Mosque , Charles de Gaulle House, and Musee National
du Congo (National Museum of Congo), return by ferry back to Kinshasa , stay overnight.
I will arrive in Casablanca at 7:40AM
Sun 14– I will arrive in Kinshasa at 2:20AM. We will fly to Basankusu in the morning (stay
overnight)
Mon 15 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Tue 16 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Wed 17 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Thu 18 – Travel up Maringa and Lomako river, visit villages
Fri 19 – Arrive at Camp N’dele (Lomako Reserve)
Sat 20 – Visit reserve.
Sun 21 – Visit reserve.
Mon 22 – Visit reserve.
Tue 23 – Travel down river and visit villages
Wed 24 – Travel down river and visit villages
Thu 25 – Travel down river and visit villages
Fri 26 – Travel down river and visit villages
Sat 27 – Arrive back at Basankusu (overnight stay)
Sun 28 – We will fly back to Kinshasa. Dogs will be transferred to Michel's house to stay.
March
Mon 1 – Pickup dogs from Michels house for vet visit (Clinique Veterinaire Kinoise). Confirm flight. Return dogs back to Michel's house.
Tue 2 – Visit Mausoleum de Kabila, Marché des Voleurs (Art), Symphonie Des Arts, Rapids of Kinsuka, ect. Visit dogs at Michel's house.
I will leave from Brazzaville at 11:50PM.
Wed 3 – Visit Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary. Visit dogs at Michel's house.
Thu 4 – Pickup dogs from Michel's house. Get ready to leave.
Fri 5 – Leave Kinshasa at 3:10AM. Arrive Casablanca 10:25AM, fly to NY at 11:25AM, arrive NY at 2:45PM. Fly on to Seattle at 7:30PM on Delta.
-Total of 26 days-
Carbon Offsets
This trip will produce an estimated 8.6 tons of CO2 per person. We will be purchasing some carbon offsets (click here to learn more).
Sources
Congo: Democratic Republic - Republic. Bradt Travel Guide by Sean Rorison, 2008.
EXPEDITION TO THE PEOPLE AND THE BONOBOS OF
THE PROPOSED
LOMAKO FOREST RESERVE, EQUATEUR PROVINCE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,
NOVEMBER 8-29 2002: THE REPORT
The Peopling of Africa. A Geographic Interpretation. James L. Nehman. Yale University Press. 1995.
Conservation - Lomako Forest Bonobo Project - Update from the Congo. Dr. Francis White. University of Oregon.
A Brief History and Context of Bonobo Conservation in Lomako. Valentin. African Wildlife Fund.
Congo Shipping Project. A Reason to Farm Again. African Wildlife FundThe Mongo of the Congo Cuvette Centrale: A Cultural Analysis. Richard Taylor. Dept. of Africa and Jamaica, Division of World Mission, The United Christian Missionary Society. 1967.
L'Ethnie Mongo, Vol. I. Van Der Kerken, G. Bruxelles: Institut Royal Colonial Belge, Section des Sciences Morales et Politiiques, Memoires, Tome XIII. 1944.
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| Copyright © 2009 James E Johannes. All rights reserved. |
Page updated: 2/2/2010 |
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