Protecting Taï National Park: The Forest Brigade

Killing of animals, including the endangered chimpanzees, within the national park is common.

The guards patrol the forest, looking for poachers and traps. As there are no real trails in the park, and obviously no road, the guards have to walk long distances in rough terrain. It's a difficult job and takes a lot of dedication.

Baguettes for the Brigade
They told us that sometimes they go on a patrol for more than a week, sleeping on the forest floor and drinking brackish water from the rainforest streams, often getting sick.

They also often debate about what kind of food to take on these long expeditions. They can't take rice as it goes bad. Tinned food is too heavy. So they usually end up taking bread and baguettes, which they eat for a week.

They catch around 60 poachers each year
The guards use GPS both to find their way and to locate poachers. Once they have spotted a poacher's tracks, they usually catch them by ambush. Some 60 poachers are arrested every year. The culprits are systematically tried but not all are sentenced to imprisonment, and some will eventually poach again. However, according to Koffi N'Dri, Taï National Park's Director, "Prison sentences are on the increase."

Good forest guards are also road guards
Taï Forests Guards are not only patrolling in the forest. They also wait for logging trucks at timber roadblocks. "We check the tree species, and the size and origin of the logs. We also looking for bushmeat, all trucks are checked," assures Sergeant Jules N'Dré, from nearby Zagné's check point.

Monitoring and patrolling Taï National Park is one of the most important activities Koffi N'Dri has to supervise. The guards' salary is paid by the Waters and Forests Office (Office des Eaux et Forêts), but their equipment and subsistence are paid by WWF. And as a former manager of Eaux et Forêts, WWF's Taï project leader Kale Gbégbé knows them all, which is an asset in a mission where close personal contacts are crucial.