Deep in the Central African Republic (CAR) lies an unknown wildlife refuge that is starting to thrive once again
Nestled in the far eastern part of the Central African Republic (CAR), and shrouded by decades of civil war, rampant poaching and armed herders, Chinko is emerging as one of the most hopeful conservation stories on the continent. In 2014, the Government of the CAR invited African Parks to manage Chinko with the shared vision of transforming the park, to enable stability to return, wildlife to recover and to improve people’s livelihoods. In just a few years, this is becoming a reality. Poaching and cattle in the core park area have been entirely eliminated, so that the once-elusive and nearly extinct elephant population is returning; carnivores, including lions, hyaenas and wild dogs, are on the rise; and for the first time, a rich diversity of fish species is being documented. Nearly 300 local people are employed by the park, making it the largest job provider in the region. Chinko is also the only provider of essential services such as health and education, as well as skills training and community enterprise support.
In April 2020, the government and African Parks signed a revised public-private partnership agreement for 25 years, increasing the core protected area to 24,335 km2 and taking the total area to 55,000 km2 under protected management.
In April 2020, the government and African Parks signed a revised public-private partnership agreement for 25 years, increasing the core protected area to 24,335 km² and taking the total area to 55,000 km² under protected management. Going forward, our vision is to see the protection of CAR’s biodiversity expanding, bringing the total area under conservation and sustainable resource management to over 103,000 km² which will be one of the largest managed wildernesses in Africa.
Chinko is in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the CAR Ministry of Water and Forests, Hunting and Fishing (MEFCP). This partnership assures that Chinko protects the ecosystem, supports local communities and maintains economic value by providing the key to a sustainable future for this unique ecosystem.
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