Jean-Paul K. Shabantu

Jean-Paul Shabantu is a conservationist and specialist in fauna and flora management in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). From 1988 to 2002, he managed several protected areas such as national parks and hunting reserves. He is co-founder of the first community-based nature reserve in the DRC: the Tayna Community Reserve (RGT) created in 1998 and supported by the Fossey Fund.

He is also a member of that association’s board of directors. From 2003 through 2005, as focal point, he has facilitated the partnership framework between ICCN (the DRC wildlife authority) and the Fossey Fund. He also conducted research in Virunga National Park on the impact of tourism on the mountain gorilla and the use of camera traps to estimate animal populations.