Celebrating Resilience: Aerial Survey Reveals Critical Numbers of Zebras on the Kibara Plateau

A total of over 170 individuals: this is what the recent aerial survey of zebras, conducted in November 2024, revealed. This inventory exercise took place on the Kibara Plateau, where the last wild zebras in the DRC, Equus quagga boehmii, reside. The zebra is one of the three conservation priorities at Upemba, and knowing their exact population remains essential for evaluating the effectiveness of the preservation measures in place. This survey was carried out following the installation of GPS collars, which now allow real-time monitoring of this flagship species of the park.

Regarding methodology, the MIKE 3 aerial survey standards were strictly adhered to. Aerial transects were defined with an observation width of 750 m on each side of the Cessna aircraft, resulting in a total coverage of 1.5 km. Observations, conducted visually by experts, were part of an exhaustive count: the transects were planned to cover the entire Kibara Plateau.

The operation was conducted over six sessions, covering a total of 1,558 km of transects. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, which required several days of work spread over an entire week, the accuracy of the count was not compromised due to the extremely low animal density. In addition to zebras, other species were observed on the sidelines of the operation, including reedbucks, warthogs, bush pigs, sitatungas, oribis, baboons, ground hornbills, and others.

The results of this study, highlighting the low densities of zebras and other species, underscore a critical situation for the wildlife of the Kibara Plateau. The complete disappearance of game in the northern part and the reduced densities in the south emphasize the urgency of immediate action. Although the habitat remains relatively intact, it is imperative to mitigate anthropogenic pressure and capitalize on recent advancements—particularly the use of GPS collars—to explore new approaches for repopulating the plateau.