Elephants on the beach in Gabon
Hippos surfing the waves of the Atlantic Ocean and elephants on the beach. These are just two of the many discoveries made by American biologist Mike Fay in Gabon. He spent fifteen months trekking through the rainforests on foot. In 2002, he managed to convince the president of this Central African country—which he dubbed “Africa’s Last Eden”—to designate ten percent of the territory as a nature reserve. As a result, there are now 12 national parks, the most famous of which is Loango, Lopé , and Ivindo. They consist of a mix of jungle, grassy savannas, and coastal areas.
Lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and forest elephants
In addition to hippos and forest elephants, the park is home to lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, forest buffalo, three different species of crocodiles, the sun-tailed monkey—discovered as recently as 1984—and the world’s largest group of mandrills. Every year, dozens of humpback whales and orcas appear off the coast, representing the second-largest concentration of Africa. You can observe the animals up close while also helping the scientists who study the whales. It is one of the examples of responsible tourism that the Gabonese government developed in collaboration with Fay and other conservationists. They use revenue from tourism for nature conservation. Visit Gabon and help protect Africa’s last Eden.
