Lama Forest

The Lama depression, a band of heavy clay soil running across southern Benin, once carried dense forest that was cleared almost entirely, and what remains is a core of a few thousand hectares protected inside a larger plantation of teak. It holds red-bellied monkeys, a species found only in Benin and southwestern Nigeria, along with mona monkeys, forest birds and a distinctive flora adapted to the clay.

What's there

• The red-bellied monkey - a primate found only in Benin and southwestern Nigeria.
• The forest core - the few thousand hectares of remaining dense forest.
• The clay soil - the heavy ground the depression and its forest sit on.
• The teak plantation - the planted belt surrounding the natural core.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season and the easiest for access. The rains from April make tracks difficult. Early morning is best for monkeys.

Before you go

Access to the core requires permission and a guide from the forest office. Monkey sightings are not guaranteed. There is no visitor infrastructure.

Nearby

Bohicon is north, and Lokoli is northeast.