The CSRS in Côte d’Ivoire and the Institute for the Breeding of Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM) held, on May 28 and 29, 2026, in Adiopodoumé (Songon municipality), a workshop dedicated to developing an action research plan for the conservation of the pygmy hippopotamus in Côte d’Ivoire for the period 2026–2030.

This meeting brought together researchers and key conservation stakeholders to define strategic directions aimed at strengthening the protection of this threatened species and consolidating collaboration among the institutions committed to its conservation.

According to Prof. Karim Ouattara, head of the Biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions division at the CSRS, the initiative aims to develop an operational strategy to preserve one of the world’s largest populations of pygmy hippos.

“After 15 years of implementing the conservation program launched in 2010 with IBREAM, it was necessary to take stock of the actions carried out and identify priorities for the next five years in order to accelerate research and conservation efforts,” he explained.

The researcher noted that the ideas generated during this workshop will later be shared with other institutional and technical partners with a view to establishing a coordinated framework for the sustainable protection of the species.

The Director General of the CSRS, Prof. Inza Koné, noted that this program emerged from the work conducted by primatologists at Taï National Park, who had recognized the need to extend conservation efforts to other iconic species of this ecosystem.

Listed as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2007, the pygmy hippopotamus faces multiple threats, including the degradation of its natural habitat and pressures from human activities.

A story by AIP