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Ivindo National Park
This park, 3000 sq.kms in extent, is located in east-central Gabon. The park is becoming known for its bai's, one of which the Langoue Bai. This opening in the forest has the largest concentrations of easily observable elephants and gorillas in Gabon.
Ivindo National Park, 3000 kms2 in extent is located in east-central Gabon. Bisected by the Equator, it was created in August 2002 by presidential decree. Lying between the mighty Ogooue and Ivindo rivers, downstream from the town of Makokou the park has two (Kongou and Mingouli) of the most impressive waterfalls in forested Central Africa. The park is becoming known for its bai's, one of which the Langoue Bai has the largest concentrations of easily observable forest elephant, buffaloand lowland gorilla in Gabon. Bai is a pygmy word for 'forest clearing'. The Langoue Bai is located deep in the park in an almost untouched part of the Gabonese forests. This bai is a rare clearing in the thick forest canopy - an area of 50 acres of grassland and swamp where animals come to drink and socialise. One of the amazing things about this clearing is that thee are more big tuskers here than any other placeand the gorillas that live haverarely seen people and are not afraid when they do. We have a good chance of seeing Lowland Gorilla, Elephant, Buffalo, Red Forest Hogs, Sitatunga and other small antelope. The Langoue research camp is located in a clearing and is about 1 hours walk from the bai. It is 3 hours walk from the nearest road point of access. Some birds thatone might encounter in this area include Spot-breasted Ibis, Cassin's Hawk-eagle, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Wood-dove, Yellow-throated and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Gabon Coucal, Bates's Swift, Bristle-nosed Barbet, Streaky-throated Barbet, a plethora of greenbul species,Yellow Longbill, Sooty and Yellow-footed Flycatchers, Bates's Paradise-flycatcher, Tiny Sunbird and perhaps Yellow-capped and Preuss's Weavers.


