Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Earlier, when Albert had spoken to me of the challenges of conservation, I hadn't fully under-
stood. The difficulty is more than a question of poverty or isolation, or problems with logistics and
funding. The people have seen their resources stripped time and again, and as a result, their mistrust
runs deep.
As for Albert's father, the entire Congo had only about a dozen university graduates and few
high-school graduates. For any regime to execute an educated Congolese who was clearly amenable
to changing sides would be folly. Again, André Lokasola's life was spared. People defended him,
saying that he'd been forced to join the Simba rebellion against his will, and that he'd been a skilled
contre-maître
. As a result, he made his final political migration, becoming the chief of public works
in the territory even as many of his rebel cohort fled or were slaughtered; he would ally himself
increasingly with the values of his people, taking more wives and becoming a tribal chief, though
remaining a government administrator for the rest of his life.
