Epulu - the most historic village in DR Congo

The Congo is probably the last place one might think of as a vacation
place - or even historic place for that matter. But it is (or has
been) both! These days, you'd be hard-pressed to find any good news
about Congo in the international media to make you think so. But it's
just coming out of quite a rough patch. Things were pretty bright
around Congo in the era just before independence from Belgium in 1960.
Before going downhill - fast!

I'll just discuss Epulu before this time as its interesting enough for
a whoile post. This village was founded (not sure what that means)
when an eccentric American anthrolopologist named Patrick Putnam,
moved here in 1927 with his wife. He started building a hotel,
capturing animals and interacting with pygmies. He stayed in Epulu
until his death around 1953. Epulu is referred to as Camp Putnam on
old maps.

In 1952, a Portuguese named De Medina established the Okapi capture
station, managed for the Belgian colonial authorities. They started
capturing wild okapis to export to zoos round the world, while
maintaining a zoo in Epulu, which had 28 okapis, more than double now
here (13). Some savannah species were even imported to Epulu's zoo.
One American man who grew up as a missionary kid in northeastern
Congo, apparently got rid of their pet lion when it started to show
its wild instincts. It came to Epulu's zoo in the 1950s.

The only African elephants that have been successfully domesticated
for tourism come from Gangala-na-Bodio in the Garamba National Park.
(Aside: Garamba, a World Heritage Site, is in the northeast corner of
Congo - most recently famous for being the hideout of the Lord's
Resistance Army under Joseph Kony; and the simultaneous disappearance
of the last wild northern white rhinos). Anyways. 14 of these
elephants were brought to Epulu's zoo for some reason - apparently, to
consolidate the Belgian administration's domesticated or captured
animals. Verbal accounts say that these elephants were kept in cages
where my organization's offices are currently. The elephants would be
brought down the road a few kilometers and released into the forest to
eat for a few hours, then someone would blow a whistle and they'd
return to the road. I have no way of validating or disproving this
story of how they fed, but if its half true, its amazing.

A Belgian man named Davids biult Hotel Okapi - at a picturesque spot
along Epulu River, which drew crowds of Belgian colonial authorities
every weekend in the 1950s.

Colin Turnbull, renowned anthrologist and author, came to Epulu in
1958 or so, spent 3 years living with pygmies before writing his
seminal work "The Forest People". Turnbull's main wingman Kenge was
famous for years afterwards as a forest guide. His son Colin was one
of my most recent guides in the forest near Epulu.

After independence in 1960, Congo sunk quickly into political turmoil.
It became Africa's most important theater in the
Cold War. Patrice Lumumba was the first elected Prime Minister, and
quickly began courting the Chinese and Soviets. He was quickly
assassinated with complicity of Belgium, USA, the UN, and other
Congolese political factions. Lumumbist communist-leaning loyalists
did not disappear, rather they waged war throughout the eastern part
of Congo - the Mulelist Rebellion. The Belgians were long gone
already, but any intellectuals had assumedly cozied up to the Belgians
and were sought out and killed.

In 1968, the Okapi capture station along with all animals - was
destroyed. The okapi capture station and zoo was rehabilitated in the
mid 1980s under the Gilman International Conservation's Okapi
Conservation Project. It weathered periods of strife during Africa's
World War. It was twice occupied by rebels - 1996 and 2002 - who
allowed zookeepers to care for and feed the okapis. The population is
now 13 - and 2 okapis should be born next summer. Its not easy to
maintain anything in Congo - but all the efforts of brave Congolese
and conservationsts throughout the years have kept the Okapi Wildlife
Reserve and the okapi zoo - a site of national pride and world
heritage.

My view of this history is certainly seen through a western lens -
which I admit, is far from telling the whole story. But the story of
this village - even the western view - deserves to be told. Come and
visit and feel the magic and mystery of a the most historic village in
DR Congo.