Christian and Brel are ecoguards working for the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Northern Congo. Their job is highly varied – from manning strategic check points on logging roads to conducting river patrols in search of illegal wildlife traffickers operating in the areas around the Park....
The first quarter of 2016 saw the official start of the forest elephant-monitoring programme at Bonye bai, a remote forest clearing in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. A team of WCS researchers and trackers headed out to the bai to construct a basic observation platform in February. The mission and construction of this tower, built to aid bai observation efforts, was covered in a mini-documentary ‘The...
This forest elephant is just one of over 500 that have so far been individually identified by researchers who have spent the past twenty years studying the wildlife of the Mbeli Bai clearing in the Nouabale-Ndkoi National Park in northern Congo. Having spent the night sleeping on the viewing platform at Mbeli last week, I woke up at sunrise to find him feeding on a...
Several days hike from the nearest logging road, accessing the northern forest clearings of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park is a big challenge. But it might be worth the effort. The largest clearing, or 'bai', is known as Bonye and it offers one of the most untouched places to view wildlife in Central Africa. Remotely situated, Bonye bai provides an important refuge to the northern Congo's most...
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...
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),...
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,...