EALA BOTANICAL GARDEN

Located seven kilometers from Mbandaka on the left bank of the Ruki River, the garden was founded by Belgian botanist Emile Laurent in 1906. The aim of the botanical garden, then called Bokoto, was to promote the study of indigenous flora. It was complemented by a trial garden to acclimatize useful exotic plants, and a model farm to encourage cattle breeding. Today, the site still extends over 370 hectares, 170 of which are forest reserves. 70 hectares are home to the exotic species planted at the time. In all, the garden boasts 10,000 different species: 3,500 planted species and 6,500 endemic species from the original tropical rainforest. It also boasts some forty fruit species and numerous edible plants. It also boasts a vast palmetum collection. Eala is also a botanical and agronomic research center, with a nursery, a library due to be renovated, a herbarium awaiting digitization... In short, things are moving slowly and an awareness of the inestimable value of the Eala garden is emerging to preserve this magical place. The World Bank has promised to finance the rehabilitation of the site so that visitors can arrive by boat. A few straw huts are already available for weekend refreshments and picnics overlooking the river. From the riverbank, you can see Yala Island, the place that is supposed to welcome bonobos reintroduced from the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa.