Primary rainforest
Mammals- Forest Elephant, western lowland gorilla*, red river hog, sitatunga, yellow-backed duiker, blue duiker
Birds - Black-casqued hornbill, pygmy hornbill, African gray parrot, hammerkop, crowned eagle
* Indicates Endangered Species
Since 2001.
• Gabon National Park Service
• Gabon Department of Water and Forests
Gabonese researchers have found that over 1000 Forest Elephants have visited Langoue Bai since monitoring began
Name : Lee White
Title : WCS-Gabon Country Director
Email :
lwhite[AT SIGN]wcs[DOT]org
Address :
Wildlife Conservation Society,
BP 7847,
Libreville,
Gabon.
For more information, see www.wcs.org/africa
Wildlife Conservation Society International Conservation,
Africa Program,
2300 Southern Blvd.,
Bronx, NY 10460, USA
The Wildlife Conservation Society's International Conservation program saves wildlife and wild lands by understanding and resolving critical problems that threaten key species and large, wild ecosystems around the world.
• Site-based conservation
• Research
• Training and capacity-building
• New model development
• Informing policy
• Linking zoo-based and field-based conservation
Contributions to this project can be sent to the WCS Africa Program in NY (address above)
Left: Animals in Langoue bai Right: the Bai from the air ©P. Henschel, E. Spotswood
WCS has been working in Gabon since 1985 where it implements a variety of conservation activities. In 2002, President Omar Bongo Odimba created 13 national parks in Gabon. Since then, the WCS has been collaborating with the Government on the management of 8 of the parks. In the southern half of the Ivindo National Park, a natural clearing in the forest called Langoue Bai has been a site of WCS conservation efforts since 2001. Discovered by Mike Fay during his Megatransect walk across Central Africa, the clearing is of high conservation priority because of the large numbers of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas that visit it regularly.
No villages exist inside Ivindo National Park, though there are fishing and hunting communities close to the northern border. The isolation of Langoue Bai has left it largely immune to pressure from hunters, and communities do not frequently venture into the park from the Southern side.
Hunting and fishing remain the most direct threats to conservation efforts in Ivindo National Park as a whole. The recent opening of new roads by logging companies around the park may increase hunting access to the park in the future. Most of the animals taken by hunters are antelopes, wild pigs and monkeys which are sold locally and shipped to the capital city, Libreville. However, trade does exist in ivory and endangered species are sometimes captured. However, direct threats to Langoue Bai are minimal.
GPS Collared Elephant at Langoue Bai ©Malcolm Starkey
Langoue Bai is a conservation priority because of the large numbers of large-tusked forest elephants and western lowland gorillas that it attracts. Since 2001, a continuous research program has been working to monitor the size and demography of wildlife populations that frequent the clearing. Gabonese researchers have found that over 1000 Forest Elephants have visited the clearing since monitoring began. Additionally, monitoring of fruiting trees began in 2004. Long term data on animal populations, tree fruiting and weather will provide a valuable database for future researchers. Current work at Langoue Bai also includes the building of a research facility capable of hosting tourists. WCS-Gabon has been working in collaboration with the Gabonese Government to develop the country as an eco-tourism destination. Langoue Bai is one of the target locations because of the ease with which visitors can see large mammals.
WCS commitment to Langoue Bai will continue to include programs focused on training Gabonese nationals, conducting research, and providing a tourist destination. Future goals include: