Lékédi Park

Lékédi occupies fourteen thousand hectares of savanna and forest around Bakoumba that a manganese mining company set aside, and it functions as a mix of reserve and rehabilitation centre: a large semi-wild mandrill group that can be followed on foot, released chimpanzees and gorillas on forested islands, and buffalo, sitatunga and antelope in the open country. It is the most accessible wildlife viewing in Gabon and the least like the rest of the country.

Highlights

• The mandrill group - a large semi-wild troop followed on foot with guides.
• The primate islands - released chimpanzees and gorillas on forested river islands.
• The savanna game - buffalo, sitatunga and antelope in the open country.
• The former mining land - fourteen thousand hectares set aside by the mining company.

When to go

June to September is the long dry season and the best window. The rains make tracks difficult. Mandrill tracking runs in the morning.

Good to know

The animals are managed and semi-wild rather than truly free-ranging. Accommodation is a lodge and is expensive. The drive from Franceville takes a couple of hours.

Nearby

Franceville is northeast, and Birougou is west.