The Lion King | 27
African forest buffaloes in Lango stream
Country Focus
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Photo: Flickr/Paul Godard
Photos by Paul Godard
Odzala-Kokoua
National Park
In the heart of the world’s second
largest tropical rainforest, second only
to the Amazon, lies a vast expanse
of protected frontier forest, Odzala-
Kokoua National Park. Situated in the
north-west of the Republic of Congo,
this wilderness is home to the incredible
biological diversity that is characteristic
of such an extraordinary and complex
ecosystem.
Declared a UNESCO Man and
Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and
nominated in 2008 to become a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Odzala
is a ‘frontier forest’ which harbours
some of the last extensive blocks of
contiguous forest ecosystems that
are capable of supporting viable
Mambili River
A buffalo chases a jacana bird in Odzala
populations of large mammals.
The southern part of the park is
predominantly a savannah-forest
mosaic and forest gallery ecosystem.
One of the unique aspects of this
park is its numerous clearings, called
‘bais’, that provide an opportunity to
observe the forest wildlife easily where
it is normally difficult to see through the
dense vegetation in a tropical forest.
The majestic Mambili River provides one
of the few access routes to the park.
The Ekoutou escarpment (80km) with its
lichen forest, and Djoua swamp in the
north west of the park remain some of
the most remote areas in which only a
few scientific expeditions have been
conducted.
The biological diversity is exceptional,
including more than 400 bird species,
114 mammal species and in excess
of 4,400 varieties of plants. Of the 16
primate species, it is the gorilla and
chimpanzee populations on which
OKNP’s reputation rests. Odzala also
boasts numerous herbivore species.
These include elephants, numbering
in the thousands, and a population of
hippopotamus.
Forest trees along river bank
Gorge de Diosso
Described as “a stunning gorge of
plunging, pink cliffs draped with green
Central African jungle”, Diosso Gorge is
a classic erosion site. Within the gorge's
rainforest are rock ridges and distinctive
red rock cliffs, which can reach up to
165 feet in height.
The gorge is said to be inhabited by the
female spirit of Mboma, who takes the
form of a snake.
Gorge de Diosso
Photo: Flickr/jbdodane
