Stop armed militia to save rare 'forest giraffe', conservationists warn

Action plan says endangered okapi will be lost without action to tackle illegal mining and armed conflict in protected central African forests

Conservationists have called for urgent action to stop armed militia and illegal mining in protected central African forests from driving the elusive okapi to extinction.

A 10-year plan to save the "forest giraffe" drawn up by a coalition of conservation groups and NGOs calls for government and international commitments to support key protected areas from armed militia involved in ivory poaching and illegal gold-mining activities.