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Exploring Tourism in Gabon
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Réserve De La Lopé

Lopé, Gabon

Réserve de la Lopé is a national park in central Gabon. Although the terrain is mostly monsoon forest, in the north the park contains the last remnants of grass savannas created in Central Africa during the last Ice Age, 15,000 years ago. Smack-dab on the equatorial is Réserve de la Lopé, complete with savannah, rolling hills, and rainforest where it’s possible to see buffalo, elephants, gorillas, and mandrills.

It was the first protected area in Gabon when the Lopé-Okanda Wildlife Reserve was created in 1946. In 2007, the Lopé-Okanda landscape was added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

The park contains a small research station, named as Mikongo and run by the Zoological Society London, based in the village known as Mikongo, from which it gets its name. There exists infrastructure to cater for tourists at the base, including several chalets and a large open air dining room, from which the rainforest is a mere five meters away.The park also hosts CEDAMM Training Centre, a Wildlife Conservation Society-run international conservation education center.

The big attraction of the Reserve de la Lope is the mandrills which you will see. You will also see forest elephants and buffalo. The birding was also good. Surely you will enjoy it, however, this isn't a location for people unless they have been to Africa before.

You’ll find a research station there run by the Zoological Society of London. You can stay at the station and be less than five metres from the rainforest at all times. For wildlife and adventure lovers, it always is a treat to enjoy the beauty of nature and experience the thrilling environment. Be sure that you are with your guide and always follow the rules by your guide and of the conservation area.

For the best wildlife encounters, the rainy seasons from February – May and October – November will give you the numbers. If you're visiting during the dry season from July – August, you will see an extraordinary gathering of mandrills.

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