Episode 3: Conserv Congo

Today on the Wild For Change podcast, we will be speaking with Adams Cassinga, founder of Conserv Congo.  Founded in 2013, Conserv Congo is a non-profit conservation whose mission is to maintain the biodiversity of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The Congo Basin is a vast tropical rainforest and a biodiversity hot spot that is home to 100’s of mammal species.  Before creating Conserv Congo, Adams was an investigative journalist turned wildlife crimes investigator.   In 2020, Adams was awarded the National Geographic Emerging Explorer Award. This award goes to trailblazers making extraordinary contributions in the world and in Adams’ case to conservation.    Part of Conserv Congo’s work includes;Investigating wildlife trafficking networksCollaborating with authorities on arresting wildlife traffickersRescuing wildlife such as apes in the region and finding sanctuary placement for the wildlifeRehabilitating injured wildlife in their natural habitatSupporting subsistence farming to ensure food security in regions where poaching of wildlife occurs due to hungerI met Adams in 2019 at a rally in Washington D.C. to help stop baby elephants being taken from their herd in Zimbabwe to live in a zoo in China.  Adams gave an inspirational speech about elephants in the wild and how their presence is so important for the ecosystem and the whole world.  We will be discussing topics such as why poaching is occurring in the Congo Basin, why subsistence farming can be a key factor in curbing poaching, Conserv Congo’s rescue missions of apes, and why interdependence between humans and other species are important.  You can learn more about Conserv Congo’s work below:http://www.conservcongo.orghttps://twitter.com/amini16https://www.facebook.com/[email protected]: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange