Expedition log, March 6 2026: SCI and partners return to Salonga's Mondjoku Sector

On the morning of March 6, 2026, the SCI survey team set out on phase two of  the Mondjoku sector ecological(?) survey of Salonga National Park .  

The phase two crew consists of three SCI staff, six ICCN rangers, and five civilians who also double as porters and help clear forest paths. All are trained in the work of systematic field data collection. On board with them is everything they will need for the three month long survey in the field including food stock wtih lots of fufu, dried fish, beans, corn, sardines and corned beef, 1200 litres of fuel and survey and basecamp equipment. 

Over the next three months, the team will cover 336 km of transect lines (predetermined paths that allow for systematic data collection) to collect data on animal distributions, bonobo and forest elephant densities and abundances, and illegal human pressures. 

This data will build on phase one bringing the total area covered in the Mondjoku sector to 2500 km (~ x% of the of Salonga National Park). 

Surveys like this are at the heart of SCI’s work to assess wildlife populations within Salonga National Park and are the result of a close conservation collaboration between the park authority ICCN, WWF, Chengeta Wildlife (an organization helping train 270+ eco guards in the Salonga), SCI and local communities. The survey data guides conservation strategies of our partner organizations and park co-managers WWF-DRC and ICCN.  

The completion of phase two also carries long-term significance. The data collected can help us see longitudinal changes in populations compared to our 2016 baseline, giving us a clearer picture of shifts in animal populations and the effectiveness of conservation strategies implemented during that time. 

The crew: 6 ICCN rangers, 3 SCI staff and 5 civilians, all trained in the job of wildlife population surveys