The Wandering Bus project
Zoo Praha |
The Wandering Bus is a project run by Prague Zoo, focused on the environmental education of the young generation of Cameroonians and on raising awareness about the protection of gorillas and the tropical rainforest of Central Africa in general.
Photo: Khalil Baalbaki
In January 2023, it was ten years since the Wandering Bus set off on its very first journey. Since the very beginning, the day-to-day operations in the field have been led, under the auspices of Prague Zoo, by the project's local coordinator, Jocelyn Aubery Ewane. Under his guidance, schoolchildren from communities surrounding the Dja Faunal Reserve attend an awareness raising programme, after which they embark on a trip on board the Wandering Bus—a transformative journey lasting several days. The highlight and final destination is the Mefou Primate Sanctuary, operated by our partner organisation Ape Action Africa, where the children take part in another educational programme and, most importantly, encounter gorillas and other primates face to face. They discover the beauty of these animals and begin to see them not merely as bushmeat or an easy source of income for poachers, but as fascinating creatures that deserve protection.
At one of the Wandering Bus stops—the organic farming base in Kabilone II—children learn about the possibilities of sustainable forest use and crop cultivation. Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo
However, gorillas are not the only topic of the Wandering Bus. The project also aims to raise awareness about other animal species, such as pangolins, as well as about nature conservation. The Wandering Bus’s route therefore includes stops at a model plantation operating on agroforestry principles, a nature trail through the rainforest, and an experimental palm weevil breeding farm.
Programme at the Mefou Primate Sanctuary. Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo
For most local children, a journey on board the Wandering Bus is the greatest trip they’ve ever experienced. Many of them leave their home village for the very first time, travelling hundreds of kilometres. Not only do they get to see gorillas with their own eyes, but they also learn how the rainforest ecosystem functions and explore ways to achieve a sustainable livelihood.
By the beginning of 2025, the Wandering Bus project had already completed more than 130 trips, in which over 2,400 children, as well as teachers, some parents and forest rangers (ecoguards), participated. Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo
Menu
Social networks
