Reserve Scientific du Luo. A reserve for the research of bonobos and other primates that is laid across the River Luo (local name of River Maringa). Wamba village where we have long been carrying out the research is located in the northern section of the reserve. There is a vast undisturbed forest with a low human population in the southern section.
The Luo Reserve was established in 1990 under the cooperation between Research Center for Ecology and Forestry of D.R. Congo and Japanese researchers. In order to respect tradition and lives of Wamba people, we did not persue the establishment of a national park from where we have to expel people. Instead, we established a special reserve for scientific research, in which we have been trying to support the coexistence of people and bonboos by various means.
The research and effort for coexistence had been interrupted by civil wars since 1996. However, we could resume those activities in August 2002. We are now trying to establish a long-lasting system to support both lives of local people and existence of bonboos.