Ivindo National Park

A waterfall in the park

Ivindo National Park is in eastern Gabon. Most famous for the spectacular Kongou and Mingouli waterfalls of the Ivindo River, known as the “wonders of Ivindo”, the park includes the Ipassa Makokou Biosphere Reserve and Langoué Baï, one of the 5 most important forest clearings in Central Africa. In 2021 the park was listed as a natural world heritage site by UNESCO.

Understand

• National Agency of National Parks (Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux du Gabon), ☏ +241 62516831. (updated Aug 2021)

History

Since 2001, before the park's creation, the WCS has studied and protected the southern region of the park, concentrated at Langoué Bai, with the support of what is now the Gabonese National Parks Agency (ANPN). In 2004 WCS constructed a purpose-built camp 3 km from Langoué Bai, with accommodation and offices for researchers, providing important insights into bai ecology and a protective presence against poachers.

The park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Landscape

A forest elephant in Ivindo NP

The park covers 300,000 ha, almost all of which is forested with a mixture of Atlantic coastal forest of Lower Guinea, and semi-deciduous forest typical of central Congo Basin.

Physical features of the park include the Ivindo River, the park is the main tributary to the Ogooué, and Mount Kingué (749 m) and Mount Ngouadi (870 m).

Flora and fauna

Wildlife includes western lowland gorilla, common chimpanzee, African forest buffalo, red river hog, sitatunga, as well as one of the last relativity intact populations of forest elephants. Notable bird species include grey-necked rockfowl, however, more than 430 bird species have been recorded within the park.

Climate

Average rainfall is 1672 mm, with peaks in rainfall between September and December, and February and May.[2] Violent thunderstorms occur seasonally, and can sometimes generate localised tornadoes, especially on the Ipassa Plateau; the disturbances caused by this effect may be responsible for the fact that this forest superficially resembles secondary forest.[2] Average temperature is 23.9 °C (measured at Makokou a few kilometres from the northern park border), with seasonal variation of around 3.3 °C.

Get in

It is 12 km from the closest city, Makokou.

Sleep