ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a British charity whose mission is to promote and work for the conservation of animals and their habitats. The ZSL has been working in Gabon since 2001, where it has managed the project of the Mikongo Conservation Centre aimed at developing the vision tourism of gorillas used in the National Park of Lopé. At the end of 2010, this project was closed. Since then, ZSL has relocated to Makokou, specifically at the IRET research Station (Institute for Tropical Ecology Research) in Ipassa, in the National Park of Ivindo, to develop new activities in the Djoua Zadie Mwagna area in the extreme northeast of Gabon. This area, due to local economic activity so far low, has a forest relatively sparse and therefore particularly rich in wildlife but suffers from local development that is weak in isolation. With the arrival of large forest farms and the planning of large medium-term mining projects, the face of this area will be forced to change profoundly and the risks to the survival of the species will multiply by day. In order to ensure that the development of the zone is carried out in a sustainable manner and with respect for biodiversity, the ZSL has committed itself to working with the various actors concerned, both local and private sector actors, to preserve the forest and its fauna, in particular focusing on gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants.