The thick canopy of the Congo rainforest and its luscious vegetation is a safe haven for a unique biodiversity—including rarely-seen wildlife, like the African Golden Cat, captured for the first time in high-definition in their natural environment in Congo.
See photos with captions HERE
Emma Stokes, WCS Vice President, Field Conservation, long deployed in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park: “Tropical rainforests don't give up their secrets easily. You can spend years walking through these forests without seeing much of the extraordinary wildlife that lives there. You only know it's there by the signs it leaves behind. That's why it's so rewarding to see these incredible images, to gradually unveil some of these secrets, and to better understand these forests to protect them.”
A major camera-trap photography operation in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park led by photographer Will Burrard-Lucas and supported by WCS has captured outstanding images of some of the most charismatic but often rarely seen mammals, in ways they have never been seen before with high definition photography.
Throughout 2023, the park welcomed UK-based Will Burrard-Lucas, a specialist in high-definition camera-trapping, and supported the deployment of 5 traps at 4 different sites in the park over a year.
Said Burrard-Lucas: “Wherever you go, you get the sense that wildlife lurks just out of sight, behind the veil of vegetation. Camera trapping in such an environment is incredibly exciting because you never know what will pass along these narrow forest paths and many species are rarely seen.”
In parks such as Nouabalé-Ndoki, camera traps are used daily for scientific purposes, such as measuring wildlife abundance. But using high-quality cameras and taking extraordinary photos of wildlife gives a better sense of what conservation is about, helps inspire a respect for and an appreciation of nature, and ultimately fosters a better connection with these elusive animals.
“These photos are amazing, I am really happy that thanks to these cameras we are able to take pictures of the animals that are very difficult to spot,” said Seraphin Ngouna, who works for one of the research sites operating in the park. Ngouna belongs to an Indigenous People native to the forest where he was born and works. He was instrumental in maintaining the cameras once deployed, which were exposed to the elements and damage caused by elephants and falling branches.
Said Ngouna: “I’m even happier to know these pictures will be published for other people to see.”
Added Burrard-Lucas: “For me, the ultimate thrill is to photograph predators, and my dream was to get a shot of the apex predator in Nouabalé-Ndoki—a leopard. These cats are very secretive and almost impossible to see in the thick rainforest. To select spots for my cameras, I was relying on the knowledge and experience of researchers and trackers who had been studying the wildlife of the park for years. It was an incredible moment when I returned to one camera and found a photo of the most impressive male leopard I have ever seen! Of course, capturing these photos was a team-effort and I am very grateful to everyone who helped make it possible, particularly those in the field who kept the cameras running.”
Said Sabine Plattner, owner of Kamba Africa, the first tourism company to operate in the park: “Will’s photos are truly breathtaking, he captures the animals of the forest beautifully, and it’s wonderful to see some of the rarer species that live in the Congo Basin. Through these images, visitors can see what life is like in the forest and the type of animals that inhabit it.”
Burrard-Lucas’s camera traps were deployed as part of the Nouabalé-Ndoki tourism development program, in partnership with Kamba Africa and thanks to the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
These photos are a treat for the eyes, but also raise awareness of these species, many of which remain critically endangered across their range. These photos celebrate unseen wildlife and call for action to protect it. They are also a testimony to the natural wonders of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, a conservation success story in northern Republic of Congo, where wildlife thrives and where WCS has been working in partnership with the government to manage the Park for over 30 years.