The silverback Metetele crosses the Ndoki River (Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park) with unusual ease. Once deeper and more difficult to navigate, the Ndoki now appears significantly less flooded. This field observation is supported by rainfall data recorded at Mondika, showing a gradual decline in precipitation over the past decade.
A scientific study published in 2025 confirms this trend, highlighting a drying pattern in the central Congo Basin, driven in part by the warming of the tropical Atlantic and the weakening of key atmospheric systems.
Beyond the observation lies a critical challenge: anticipation. In an ecosystem where water shapes every balance, sustained changes in rainfall are redefining the interactions between forests, wildlife, and human communities. These images capture a transformation that remains subtle—but is already measurable.