Interview with Diorne Zausa, General Secretary of the CSO ACB-Côte d’Ivoire

Diorne, you are now the General Secretary of the NGO ACB-Côte d’Ivoire. Could you tell us a bit about your association ?

L’ONG Action pour la Conservation de la Biodiversité en Côte d’Ivoire en abrégé ACB-Côte d’Ivoire a été créée depuis 2007 par un groupe de scientifiques ivoiriens dans l’optique de vulgariser les résultats de recherche et de mener des actions de conservation. Elle compte actuellement plus de 80 membres dont la majorité sont des chercheurs. Elle a pour objectif principal de développer une véritable conscience environnementale en vue de la sauvegarde de la diversité biologique.

When and under what circumstances did you personally decide to make a commitment to Nature ?

Ever since I was 7 years old, I’ve known that I wanted to be a zoologist because I already considered that the world is a whole and that if animals disappear, so do humans. As I felt that there were already a lot of people looking after humans, I decided to look after animals who don’t have the possibility of defending themselves against the destruction of nature caused by humans.

If you were an animal, what would you be? Tell us why?

I’m already an animal… But if I had to change species, I’d choose one less destructive than Homo sapiens. Strangely enough, I identify with the animal that represents our Master’s class, the sloth. I set myself one or more goals and even if it takes time to achieve them, I keep going regardless of the obstacles.

If you had extraordinary magical powers, what would you want to change ?

I’d like to see peace everywhere in the world and for each of us to realise the importance of nature and to be able to live in harmony with it.

What advice would you give to young Africans who are getting involved in voluntary work to protect nature?

I’m learning a lot by volunteering with the NGO ACB-Côte d’Ivoire, which is linked to my work. It has enabled me to expand my network and show my skills to new contacts. It also enabled me to acquire additional skills that will be useful for the rest of my career.

My advice to these young people is that they should continue their voluntary work and that their motivation should always be guided by their desire to help nature and not to make a profit. You have to remain honest and open. Be proactive, according to your skills and interests, and use them to help preserve nature.

A great wildlife encounter ?

I was conducting a study in the Taï National Park on the Campbell’s Mone. One day, we were surrounded by a large group of mangabey monkeys who were walking discreetly on the ground and by the time we became aware of their presence, we were in the middle of their group. They were a group accustomed to human presence and paid no attention to us, except for the juveniles. One youngster in particular was watching me a lot and coming towards me. We stared into each other’s eyes for a long time and it was a truly magical moment. I obviously kept a certain distance but I really had the impression that he wouldn’t have run away if I’d come closer. Moments like that are precious and allow us to nourish our vocation even more.

What are the biggest challenges facing your organisation ?

Among the greatest challenges facing our organisation are obtaining regular funding to carry out more conservation actions and the lack of proactivity on the part of our members.