Our excitement rises as we sneak up the ladder onto the deck of the Mbeli bai mirador. Stepping up onto the platform we remove our shoes to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Early morning mist rises off of the main pool, draping the group of forest elephants enjoying its mineral deposits and lush vegetation in a shroud of mystery. There are two young calves in the...
A dwarf crocodile poses in a local dugout canoe in which it was chaperoned to safety by a team of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park eco-guards. The crocodile was confiscated at a roadblock near Makao in the north of the Republic of Congo. Several check points have been set up on the area’s road network to increase the enforcement of Congolese wildlife laws in the areas surrounding...
The Bambama vegetable growing association in southwestern Congo has been getting some beautiful yields of organic spinach. These crops were harvested from fallow fields that had been deserted due to lack of fertility. Now, with a few changes in farming practices, the community is getting bigger, and better quality yields, than ever before. The Bateke project is piloting a sustainable farming model at several sites...
Nested in the Batéké Plateau of Southern Congo, the Lefini Wildlife Reserve is surrounded by villages and agricultural land. The reserve is under pressure from unsustainable hunting and demand for fuel wood yet remains a key potential tourism site for the country. On the northern border of the reserve, people living in a small village called Mpoh, well aware of the importance of conservation for...
After three days, two river crossings and several leeches, we reach our first destination. We set about making camp and the following morning we cover the final 4km to Mabale bai. Bais are natural forest clearings, unique to the lowland rainforests of central Africa. They act as social arenas, watering holes and mineral deposits for many large mammals. Forest elephants, for their size (3-5 tonnes),...
We set off. The 20 kilos strapped to my back feels cumbersome and my shoulders quickly begin to ache and numb. Yombe leads us, with quick little steps his feet splayed out at 45 degrees. Terribly fit. At first, I stuggle to find a rhythm; ducking and weaving, clambering over fallen trunks and pausing for the deft strikes of the lead machete. I give in...
Pair of Hartlaub’s ducks take off and disappear behind a curtain of green. We are buzzing along. The little 15 horsepower outboard eases the dug-out canoe up the tannin stained waters of the Motaba, a snaking river that leads us to the edge of the Noubale-Ndoki National Park and, arguably, the most intact wilderness of central Africa. I look round to face six young men,...