For the first time in history, a photograph of the elusive Upemba lechwe, a rare antelope species found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been released. This marks a pivotal moment for conservation efforts aimed at saving the animal from the brink of extinction.
Fewer than 100 Upemba lechwes are believed to remain in the wild. During an aerial survey in the Kamalondo depression in southern DRC, scientists were able to document the presence of just 10 individuals. Despite the herd darting out of sight, one of the antelopes briefly paused, giving researcher Manuel Weber from Upemba National Park’s Research and Biomonitoring Department the rare opportunity to snap a photograph. This image is believed to be the first of a living Upemba lechwe since it was officially classified as a subspecies in 2005.
“It was unbelievable,” Weber said. “I barely slept the nights before we found it, worried we wouldn’t be able to complete the survey or that we wouldn’t find any. In that case, we would have been responsible for the extinction of a species.”
The Upemba lechwe’s population has dwindled significantly, with fewer than 100 animals now remaining in the wild. The last population update, published in the African Journal of Ecology, marks the first such report in over 50 years. “This is a species on the very brink,” Weber continued. “The fact that they’re still hanging on at all is extraordinary, but without urgent protection, they will vanish.”
Once a relatively abundant species with populations numbering up to 22,000 in the 1970s, the Upemba lechwe’s population has dramatically declined due to illegal poaching. The main threat to their survival remains hunting, with meat from these animals being transported for sale to the city of Bukama along the Lualaba River as recently as the early 1990s.
“I don’t have an issue with sustainable meat harvesting by local communities, but this can only happen when there are viable populations,” Weber explained. “The real question is: how do we restore these numbers?”
With the species now considered one of the world’s rarest large mammals, conservationists are calling for immediate intervention to protect the remaining members of the herd. The publication of the photograph has become a critical tool in their efforts to generate awareness and mobilise resources to save the species.
Weber reflects on the importance of this photograph: “I knew we needed it to get media attention. It was devastating on the first day when we encountered Upemba lechwe that were too quick to capture. It wasn’t until the morning of the second day, when one individual stopped for a mere few seconds, that we had our chance.”
This photograph is hoped to serve as a rallying cry for conservationists, urging both local and global efforts to preserve the Upemba lechwe. “This may be our only chance to save this species,” Weber added.