Mont Fouari Faunal Reserve

Mont Fouari covers a block of hill country on the Gabonese border in southwestern Congo, a mix of savanna and forest gazetted in the 1950s along with two neighbouring reserves that were meant to work as a group. Buffalo, antelope and primates use it. Like most of the country's older reserves it went through decades with little management, and what remains depends heavily on how much pressure the surrounding area puts on it. The two neighbouring reserves, Nyanga-Nord and Mont Mavoumbou, were gazetted at the same time and were intended to be managed as a single block with it.

What you actually see

• The savanna and forest - the mosaic the reserve covers.
• The hill country - the higher ground on the Gabonese border.
• The 1950s designation - one of a group of reserves created together.
• The primates - the species using the forest blocks.

When to go

June to September is the long dry season. The rains make tracks difficult. Wildlife is dispersed in any season.

Honest expectations

Management has been limited for decades and wildlife numbers are reduced. There is no infrastructure. Access requires permits, guides and a suitable vehicle.

Nearby

Dolisie is east, and the Gabon border is west.