Following Jop Kempkes’s mission earlier this year, IBREAM is back in the rainforest of Cote d’Ivoire! As part of the official launch of the field activities of the 2025-2030 “Bending the Curve” program of the Taï Hippo Project, dedicated to the conservation of the pygmy hippopotamus, a first visit was carried out by the recently recruited Postdoc Hermann Digbeu with enthusiasm and determination. The mission began with a meeting with the Head of the OIPR’s Djouroutou sector, in the presence of Innocent, the assistant also recently recruited to support the project. During this interview, the team presented the access permissions to the study area, while outlining the broad outlines and objectives of this ambitious initiative.
An excursion was then organized in the Taï National Park to identify a suitable site for the installation of the future “Hippo Camp”. Unfortunately, the exceptional rise in water made access to the site impossible during this first attempt. A few days later, the weather conditions improved, and the team was able to go to the site and proceed with the development of the camp.
he mission continued with an enriching meeting with Donatien, an experienced field technician who in the past was also involved with the project. That way he has gained invaluable knowledge on how to safely capture pygmy hippopotamuses for the purposes of scientific research. After constructive technical exchanges, Donatien expressed his pride and commitment to actively contribute to this conservation initiative. This first step marks the beginning of an exciting adventure, where every action on the ground brings us one step closer to a better understanding of and sustainable preservation of the pygmy hippopotamus.
The rest of the project promises to be rich in discoveries and strong commitments to biodiversity.
The Taï Hippo Project is an ongoing conservation-oriented research program carried out jointly by the Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), an international conservation NGO, and the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), an Ivorian research institute.
