MBELI CLEARING

In nature parks, clearings are the best places to observe wildlife. The 12-hectare Mbeli clearing in the south-western part of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is regularly visited by over a hundred gorillas, who come here to forage for plants. Nearby, a number of sandy clearings, rich in salt and other minerals, attract elephants, various species of antelope including bongos, chimpanzees and forest buffalo. Observation at Mbeli is from two 8m-high watchtowers, offering excellent visibility of gorilla activity. It should be added that the gorillas are accustomed to the presence of observers on the platforms: researchers are present on an almost daily basis to collect information that feeds their database on the demography and social organization of the lowland gorilla. Unlike the gorillas living in the volcanic regions of Uganda, Rwanda or Congo-Kinshasa, whose habits are widely known and studied, its lowland cousin, or western gorilla, remains largely unknown. Researchers' statistics show that 72% of gorillas are seen on observation days, meaning that on any given day, the observer has a three-in-four chance of seeing them. Gorillas are not the only animals keeping researchers busy, as they are also collecting data on forest elephants and other endangered species.