National parks rich in wildlife
With almost 150 listed mammals, Gabon will delight wilderness lovers. The country's emblematic animal, the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), smaller than its savannah cousin, is widely found throughout the country and in different habitats such as forests, savannahs and swamps. From Minkébé Park, with the highest concentration of pachyderms in the country, to La Lopé, Loango and Moukalaba Doudou parks, Gabon is home to an estimated 50,000 specimens, or around 60% of its total population. The country is therefore the last refuge for this species, which has suffered from extensive poaching in recent years.
Another representative animal is the lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), one of only three species in the world, all in Central Africa. They are widely scattered across the country, with the exception of the vast savannahs of Haut-Ogooué and near urban areas. However, they are most numerous in La Lopé, Ivindo and Moukalaba Doudou national parks. In semi-liberty, on the island of Petit Evengué (Fernan Vaz), a few individuals are being reintegrated into the wild. In the Plateaux Batéké National Park, the Projet de protection des gorilles (gorilla protection project) is running an identical, but larger-scale experiment, although it is not open to visitors. Despite their large numbers, gorillas are not easy to observe. Although this species is protected, its forest habitat and its fear of humans, caused by hunting and other enemies, make them very shy. Apart from occasional, furtive encounters, the chances are greater on the Mikongo side (Lopé National Park), where the area has long been protected, but remain very hypothetical. On the other hand, in the baï (clearing) of Langoué (Ivindo National Park) and during the good season, the presence of either solitary individuals or groups is very frequent, and observation is facilitated by the open space where the gorillas come to feed on herbaceous plants rich in mineral salts.
The forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) is also very present in Gabon. Like the forest elephant, it has a reddish color and a shape typically adapted to the forests of the Congo Basin. Feeding on grasses, it can be found in savannahs, swamps and forest clearings, notably in La Lopé and Loango. Throughout your stay, depending on where you are, you may observe other herbivores of the bovid family, such as the bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus), Africa's largest forest antelope, in Mwagné National Park, grimm's duiker or Ntsa (Sylvicapra grimmia) on the Batékés plateaux and the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei), a wetland antelope, on the banks of the Akaka river or in the baï of Langoué.
Primate sightings are just as remarkable. First and foremost is the sun-tailed cercopithecus, a species endemic to Gabon, discovered only in 1984. With an orange-red tail at the tip, it lives in groups of around 15 individuals, led by a large adult male. It can be found in the Abeilles forest and south of the Lopé forest, but chances of seeing it are rare due to its ability to hide. Also visible in the Lopé Park, the mandrill, a species endemic to Central Africa, is a medium-sized arboreal monkey with a spectacular appearance, particularly for the intense red and blue colors it sports. A study and radio-tracking program makes them easy to spot and track. The Lopé, Minkébé, Ivindo and Mwagné parks are also home to two species of colobus, monkeys with long tails and heavy bellies. Chimpanzees, meanwhile, are present in almost all the country's national parks, in varying proportions.
As for felines, you can try to flush out the golden cat, endemic to the rainforests of Africa's west coast, and the African panther. The latter is found in the Lopé, Loango, Ivindo, Minkébé and Moukalaba-Doudou parks. Smaller populations of panthers live in the Monts de Cristal, Pongara, Plateaux de Batéké, Waka and Monts Birougou parks. Active mainly at night, they are difficult to observe, and you need a lot of luck to spot them at dusk or early in the morning. Finally, let's not forget the bushpig, an omnivore with a debonair appearance and picturesque facies. It can be found over a large part of the country and in most national parks. Although little known as an ornithological destination, Gabon boasts no fewer than 600 species of birds. These include the crowned eagle, the grey pelican, the African spoonbill and the palm vulture.
A unique aquatic fauna
Between ocean, rivers and streams, the aquatic fauna is just as rich and diverse as the terrestrial fauna. Aware of this remarkable biodiversity, in 2017 Gabon created Africa's largest network of marine protected reserves, stretching over 53,000 km² in the Atlantic Ocean. This last marine sanctuary in the world is home to a plethora of threatened species, including the world's largest nesting population of leatherback turtles. Numerous nesting sites follow one another from Libreville to the Congo border, with a higher number in Mayumba National Park. During the nesting season, from early November to late March, thousands of turtles arrive on the beaches to lay their eggs, offering a fabulous spectacle to those who observe them discreetly. There are four other species of sea turtle in Gabon: the green, hawksbill, olive ridley and loggerhead. Apart from the leatherback, the largest of its kind, they are all particularly threatened by a series of hazards ranging from industrial fishing to oil pollution, but also by the habits of coastal populations. The best way to help protect them is to refuse to buy turtle shells, meat or eggs and, of course, not to throw garbage into the sea, especially plastic.
In the dry season, thousands of orcas, dolphins and especially humpback whales migrate south from Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe. Corisco Bay, Cape Lopez and the Loango and Mayumba national parks are today the sites most frequented by these cetaceans. The waters of the Atlantic are also home to a myriad of fish, including the famous tarpon, prized by fishermen, the captain and the barracuda. The rivers are just as well-stocked, with red carp, tilapia and catfish among other species. Hippos can also be found in the Lambaréné, Minkébé and Ivindo regions, as well as in the Moukalaba-Doudou and Loango national parks. In Loango, hippos are known to bathe in the ocean! Last but not least, the luckiest visitors will be able to spot manatees, large mammals with cylindrical bodies, in lakes, lagoons and river mouths.
A luxuriant flora
With over 80% of its territory covered by tropical forests, Gabon is home to an incredible number of tree and flower species, which are still being inventoried today. From primary forests to coastal forests, mangroves and savannahs, the many habitats that make up its environment offer one of the most diverse floras in the entire African rainforest, with over 8,000 plant species, of which around 20% are endemic to the country. In terms of plant species, the Monts de Cristal is undoubtedly the richest area in Gabon, and perhaps one of the most diverse in tropical Africa. In fact, in 2015, a new kind of plant was discovered here, to the great satisfaction of scientists. This flowering plant from the Annonaceae family, named Sirdavidia solannona after Sir David Attenborough, English naturalist and BBC presenter, has since been classified as an endangered species. In addition to plant species, Gabon's dense forests are home to some 800 tree species, some of which are highly prized for the quality of their tropical wood or their medicinal properties. Such is the case of okoumé, a large, light red, sometimes reddish-brown tree that can reach 50 meters in height. It is prized for making plywood, furniture, mouldings and panelling. Gabon's other famous species is kevazingo, also called bubinga by Europeans. It is a red, black or brown wood, rare and therefore much more expensive than okoumé. Prized by Asians for its visible grain, it is used to make designer furniture. Also worth mentioning is the olon, a fairly large tree belonging to the Rutaceae family. Its trunk is covered with thorns, and its soft, light, yellow wood is used to build pirogues, tom-toms and beehives. The niové, a slender, upright tree, is also widely represented in the Gabonese forest. Its fruit, ovoid with two valves, releases a single seed wrapped in red flesh eaten by birds, primates, rats and porcupines. Its wood is used to make paddles and the sap is a healing agent. Finally, the onzabili, a large tree also found throughout Gabon, is distinguished by its scaly trunk and sweet, yellow, flattened fruits, which are acidic but edible. Powdered bark is used to treat liver disease.
