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Entries for 'Conservation science'
September 16, 2026
Located on the outskirts of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, near the villages of Bomassa and Bon-Coin, Wali Bai is a small 1.2-hectare clearing visited by a remarkable diversity of wildlife. To better understand how animals use the site during the construction of a new viewing platform, the park’s Tourism and Research teams set up a camera-trap monitoring system.
In October 2025, 18 camera traps were installed around the bai. Their objective was to document changes in wildlife use of the ...
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July 10, 2026
More than 36,156 hours of acoustic monitoring and no gunshots detected. These are the key results of the 22nd deployment of WCS's Elephant Listening Project in and around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.
Between August 2025 and April 2026, 46 acoustic units recorded continuous data across a 1,250 km² monitoring grid covering part of the national park, the Kabo forest concession, and a safari zone. The network is designed with 50 acoustic sensors, randomly distributed at a density of one...
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May 09, 2026
Between 2018 and 2023, WCS teams, in partnership with the University of Exeter, conducted extensive monitoring of ray and shark landings from artisanal fisheries in Songolo, Pointe-Noire. This work led to the publication, in 2025, of an in-depth analysis of the dynamics of this fishery.
More than 40 species of elasmobranchs were identified, highlighting both the richness and high productivity of Congolese waters. Among them, six species accounted for most of the catches, including the scallop...
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November 24, 2025
In the heart of the flooded forest of northeastern Republic of Congo, the Lac Télé is one of the planet's last natural mysteries. Terre Sauvage magazine devoted a lengthy article to it, as this almost inaccessible site is better known for its raw beauty than for its biodiversity.
The author, Thomas Nicolon, recounts the human and scientific adventure undertaken in 2024 in the Lac Télé Community Reserve by a team of scientists who carried out the very first inventory of reptiles and amphib...
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September 30, 2025
The African Natural History Research Trust recently identified three new butterfly species in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, located in northern Republic of Congo: Falcuna nouabaleensis, Anthene sangha, and Neurellipes smithi.
Butterflies are key indicators of forest health.
These discoveries enhance our understanding of the biodiversity in this region, nestled between the Sangha and Congo Rivers, and highlight the importance of conserving these ecosystems.
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August 07, 2025
Endemic to the Congo Basin, Allen’s swamp monkey (Allenopithecus nigroviridis) is rarely seen—but thanks to a new study, we now know the Lac Télé Community Reserve is one of its key strongholds.
Unlike nearby protected areas, LTCR includes flooded forests, which are essential for this habitat specialist. In three of the nine monitored clearings, the swamp monkey was recorded—proof of its presence and the Reserve’s critical role.
Scientists stress the need for regula...
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June 28, 2025
Using innovative passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), researchers have revealed how forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park adjust their behavior in response to gunfire. The data shows an 8-day reduction in elephant presence after hunting incidents, along with increased nighttime vocalizations—clear evidence of stress caused by poaching. This groundbreaking study highlights the profound impact of human activity on these keystone species.
The research, a colla...
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May 13, 2025
The Lac Télé Community Reserve Research Team conducted a hippopotamus census in the southern part of the Reserve. Efforts were concentrated around Likonda, Moungouma Moke, and Ebambe, the latter two being on the outskirts of the Reserve, where most of the observations were made. The study focused on the number of individuals observed, their geolocation, behavior, the presence of tracks, and environmental conditions (water level, weather). A total of twelve hippos were counted.
Although t...
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February 13, 2025
Report is the first to comprehensively assess the global conservation status of peatlands, which store more carbon than all the world’s forests biomass combined; calls for urgent action to protect this overlooked ecosystem, including by strengthening Indigenous People’s land rights
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A new study released today reveals that peatlands — a vital carbon store that many people have never heard of — are dangerously under-protec...
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April 10, 2024
A new study reveals compelling evidence that forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®(FSC®) in Gabon and the Republic of Congo harbour a higher abundance of larger mammals and critically endangered species, such as gorillas and elephants, compared to non-FSC certified forests. The research was led by Utrecht University with support from WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and was published in Nature on 10 Apr...
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