January 2026 in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park: a year that begins under auspicious circumstances.
The month was marked by several encouraging events for biodiversity, with two chimpanzee births in Goualougo and a newborn gorilla in Mondika, demonstrating the vitality of the populations monitored in the park. Teams also continued their efforts to reduce conflicts between communities and elephants, notably by reinforcing the electric fence in Kabo with the support of farmers.
At the community level, 249 free medical consultations were carried out in Bomassa and Makao, while 20 elderly people benefited from the social assistance programme. Education remains a pillar of local actions: monitoring of 16 scholarship students, activities of the Ebobo nature club and awareness-raising in schools, particularly on World Pangolin Day.
Research and monitoring activities are continuing intensively. In Mbeli Baï, nearly 180 hours of elephant presence were recorded, illustrating the ecological importance of the site. In Goualougo, researchers accumulated 420 hours of chimpanzee monitoring at the beginning of the year.
At the same time, protection of the park remains active: 160 days of patrols were carried out, covering 1,473 km² of forest, with the seizure of poaching equipment. The park also continues to welcome visitors, with 21 tourists in January, whilst continuing infrastructure works and awareness-raising activities on the zoonotic risks associated with the consumption of wildlife.
Between conservation, research and community engagement, the start of this year confirms the commitment of teams and partners to the long-term preservation of Ndoki’s unique ecosystems.
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