African Parks Network vision and research strategy and challenges in Chad
Rado Seminar by Jean-Didier Akpona & Eltsine Sahgui
- Date: Dec 5, 2025
- Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Jean-Didier Akpona & Eltsine Sahgui
- Eltsine M.C SAHGUI's research interests focus on wildlife management within protected areas, with particular attention to species ecology and the systemic relationships they maintain with other components of their environment. Eltsine is currently pursuing a joint PhD between the University of Liège (Belgium) and ERAIFT–UNESCO (Democratic Republic of Congo). Her research investigates the conservation status and ecological significance of Walter’s duiker, a species recently discovered in 2010, within the Dahomey Gap. The aim is to analyze its spatial distribution and pseudo-abundance across fragmented protected areas, as well as to determine its dietary regime. These studies seek to inform its IUCN status and stimulate the implementation of targeted conservation measures for both the species and its habitats. In parallel, she serves as Conservation Manager for the Aouk-Keita Landscape Project led by African Parks Network (APN) in Chad, where she contributes to the sustainable management and preservation of habitats and species. Eltsine looks forward to engaging in discussions, exchanging ideas, and building connections with fellow researchers and practitioners in Konstanz.
- Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
- Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
- Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
- Contact: gkopp@ab.mpg.de
African Parks Network (APN) is a non-profit organization that takes direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. We take a commercial approach to conservation, supported by donor funding, to make each park sustainable in the long term and contribute to economic development and poverty reduction. APN currently manages 24 parks in 13 countries (Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Benin, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Sudan, Ethiopia), covering more than 20 million hectares. In Chad, AP manages four protected areas, including the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, a World Heritage Site located in the north-east of the country. An oasis of life in the Sahara, the vast 50,141 km² reserve is a desert landscape with an extremely rich cultural heritage; the large functional ecosystem of Zakouma, comprising Zakouma National Park, Barh Salamat Wildlife Reserve and Siniaka Minia National Park, located between the Sahara Desert and the fertile rainforest regions of Central Africa, Zakouma National Park is a unique Sudano-Sahelian wilderness that is a refuge for some of the most important wildlife populations of West and Central African species. Finally, the Aouk-Keita Landscape, a Ramsar site and former hunting ground until 2007, is located in the extreme south-east of Chad, between the borders of the Central African Republic and Sudan. It covers an area of major ecological importance, spanning more than 33,000 km², and is home to exceptional biodiversity and communities deeply connected to nature. The conservation and sustainable management of resources is in perfect coherence with Chad's 2030 vision and the objectives of sustainable development. These protected areas are home to a variety of mammal species, including African leopard (Panthera pardus africana), lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Kordofan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), buffalo (Syncerus caffer) roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and much more. This presentation therefore aims to present African Parks vision in the management of protected areas in Africa and highlight the conservation efforts in Chad, while emphasizing their biodiversity and ecology and possible areas of potential collaboration or need for capacity building.