GC Funds Systems and Training in Upemba National Park in the DRC
The Challenge:
Upemba National Park, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's oldest parks, is undergoing a remarkable recovery. Situated in the country's southeast, the park has a long history of conservation and ecological significance. Once bridging with biodiversity, it supported 1,800 species, including lions, cheetahs, and buffalo. During its peak, vast herds of elephants—estimated in tens of thousands—roamed the park.
Over the decades, however, it endured neglect, exploitation, conflict, and poaching, severely diminishing its rich biodiversity. Once called "the Triangle of Death," Upemba's rangers faced direct attacks from armed militia groups targeting outposts and patrol teams. Without situational awareness, they were vulnerable, faced increased risks, and struggled to respond to threats against wildlife, which further complicated conservation efforts.
Despite these challenges, Upemba remained a vital ecological stronghold, and in 2022, efforts began to revitalize the landscape. With support from the Forgotten Parks Foundation, the Congolese government undertook the significant challenge of ensuring Upemba's long-term protection. Restoring its biodiversity required addressing key conservation challenges, such as enhancing real-time monitoring, reducing data collection delays, and mitigating growing security threats to personnel.
EarthRanger Infographic:
The platform collects, integrates, and displays all historical and available remote sensing data. It then combines it with reports from the field. The result is providing one unified view of collared wildlife, rangers, enforcement assets, and infrastructure, which enhances protection, studies, and the understanding of wildlife. EarthRanger is connected with over 75 leading technology hardware devices, data services, and software providers.
The Resolution:
Ensuring the safety of its personnel is the foundation of the park's recovery. The park's first critical step involved connecting their Garmin inReach devices to EarthRanger. Park officials outfit ranger units with inReach devices so that headquarters can monitor their movements and real-time locations via the platform. This functionality provides the extra safety net personnel need to do their job, even in remote areas with limited or no connectivity.
Using EarthRanger's base layers, park officials can quickly identify potential hazards, such as rugged terrain, through satellite imagery, equipping rangers with critical information before encountering obstacles. Tracking patrols in real-time also helps flag when teams are approaching known conflict zones, allowing for proactive decision-making and improved safety. In the event of an emergency, authorities can promptly pinpoint their location, evaluate the situation, and verify the presence of any injuries. This capability strengthens security by enabling a swift response to incidents such as ranger attacks.
For example, when militia groups attacked an outpost last year, severely injuring a ranger, tracking the stolen device allowed officials to locate the attackers' camp and coordinate the evacuation of a wounded team member once the area was secure. Unfortunately, the ranger succumbed to his injuries upon arrival at the hospital.
In addition to personnel safety, Upemba is building real-time capabilities for wildlife monitoring. Conservationists have successfully collared seven zebras to track their movements and behavior, marking an important step in integrating more data into their EarthRanger system. Looking ahead, the park plans to collar elephants in May 2025 to gain a deeper understanding of behavior patterns and enhance data-driven decision-making.
Other significant advancements include launching biodiversity inventories, such as eDNA, as well as extensive camera trap surveys. The team collected fish specimens that are potentially new to science—building a dynamic database to manage and analyze biodiversity alongside patrol data and strengthening field capacity with aerial support. These efforts are helping Upemba protect its wildlife and shape its future conservation planning.
Once reduced to just 35 individuals, Upemba's zebra population has rebounded to 170, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts. GPS collaring helps track their movements for better protection. Photo © shutterstock.com
The Impact:
Conservation efforts drive the park's recovery today, and wildlife numbers are rebounding. Upemba's zebra population has increased from just 35 individuals to 170, while the elephant herd is estimated to have surpassed 200 individuals. To gain updated population estimates and deeper insights into these conservation gains, an aerial census is planned for later in 2025.
Increased funding from conservation partners has further strengthened these efforts, allowing for regular aerial patrols that enhance surveillance and enable quicker responses to illegal activities. With each new tool and dataset, Upemba is gaining a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of its wildlife and landscape. These advancements have significantly improved ranger safety, reducing risks and enhancing operational effectiveness. However, challenges remain—some remote river valleys are still under militant control, particularly by groups affiliated with Mai Mai Bakata Katanga. Currently, approximately 42% of the park is under control, but as more rangers receive training and essential tools, park officials expect this figure to rise.
As rangers take on biomonitoring responsibilities, they play a more active role in protecting and restoring Upemba's wildlife, reinforcing their ownership of the park's recovery. The implementation of EarthRanger Mobile, which began in late 2024, is already benefiting the biomonitoring team by streamlining data collection and transitioning from paper to digital. What started as an initiative to improve ranger safety has evolved into a data-driven conservation strategy, shaping Upemba's long-term restoration efforts.
The integration of EarthRanger and Garmin inReach has not only enhanced ranger safety but also established a foundation for more informed conservation efforts. Rangers who once ventured into the field with uncertainty now operate with real-time support, a clearer understanding of their surroundings, and the ability to adapt to emerging challenges—ensuring Upemba's continued path toward recovery.
