LAC TÉLÉ COMMUNITY RESERVE

In the heart of the peat bogs of the Central African basin, the Lac Télé community reserve (surface area: 4,400 km²), created in 2001, is a unique protected area based on ecosystems of global importance. The reserve is particularly important for birdlife and is home to one of the highest densities of lowland gorillas in the world. More than 20,000 people live in 27 villages in this mosaic of landscapes between flooded savannah, swamp forest, and dry land. The reserve's communities live off its natural resources, particularly fishing. Since the creation of the reserve, these communities, the Ministry of Forest Economy and WCS have been working together to ensure the coexistence of people and wildlife and the sustainable use of resources. At the heart of the reserve that owes its name to it, Lac Télé is a unique geomorphological site, whose origin remains debated since a 2010 scientific article seems to rule out the hypothesis of a meteorite impact. Its hydrological system is equally poorly understood, despite its ancestral use by fishermen from the village of Boha, where the rite required to access the lake is held. Very difficult to access, the lake has been the subject of very little scientific research. Ecotourism is still underdeveloped, but tour operators can organize a tailor-made stay if requested in advance.