Six months among lions, rebels, and poachers: How two intrepid students from Bern and Vienna rediscovered all sorts of previously lost animal species in the Central African Republic and founded a wildlife sanctuary. The Chinko Basin in the east of the Central African Republic is considered one of the last "white spots" in Africa. Until recently, it had been almost completely unexplored from a zoological perspective. Swiss biology student Thierry Aebischer and his Viennese friend and fellow student Raffael Hickisch were the first to venture into the area to conduct zoological research. During several research trips, the duo used camera traps to identify animal species that were thought to be completely extinct or regionally extinct. The work was carried out under the most adverse conditions – poachers, heat, lions, snakes, and then a coup and civil war in the Central African Republic. After the unrest ended and their studies were completed, the two young researchers returned to the area and, with the support of a hunting leaseholder, established a game reserve that provides jobs for locals. A fascinating research adventure reminiscent of David Livingstone's time. - Illustrated eBook with numerous photos.



Kai Althoetmar, born in Cologne (Germany) in 1968, a graduate of the Cologne School of Journalism and a graduate economist and political scientist, previously worked for GEO magazine, Deutsche Welle (Middle East editorial office) and Reuters news agency (foreign department), among others, and lives as a full-time writer in the German Eifel and on Mauritius. In Namibia, he worked as a reporter for the German-language radio programme of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).



Six months among lions, rebels, and poachers: How two intrepid students from Bern and Vienna rediscovered all sorts of previously lost animal species in the Central African Republic and founded a wildlife sanctuary. A fascinating research adventure reminiscent of David Livingstone's time.