Travel Guide Parc National D’odzala-Kokoua

Created in 1935 on the initiative of Saint-Floris, then administrator of French Equatorial Africa, Odzala National Park is one of the oldest in Africa. At 110,000 hectares, it is also the largest Congolese national park. To the park proper must be added the Lékoli-Pandaka reserve (50,000 ha) and the Mboko estate (90,000 ha). While the initial park is located in the Cuvette-Ouest department, its extensions extend beyond the boundaries of the department, enlarging the protected area to 1.3 million hectares. Odzala is bordered to the north by the Mambili and crossed by the Lékoli, two tributaries of the Likouala. The site's specificity lies in the presence of savannah forests, providing Odzala National Park with a rich and varied flora and fauna. The many giant mahogany and limba trees, which can reach 40 m in height, are in places untouched by man. One of the park's key assets is the existence of numerous salines, clearings within the rainforest, perfect for wildlife observation. Odzala has one of the highest densities of gorillas, primates and elephants in Central Africa. It is also home to buffalo, sitatunga and, more rarely, lions and hyenas - over 100 species of mammal and around 450 species of bird. To facilitate observation, small groups settle into a spot and wait for the animals to emerge from the forest. However, the fierce temperament of some species often requires the observer to track them for several days.