Bangangai Game Reserve

Bangangai in South Sudan's far southwest protects a small block of Congolian rainforest on the Democratic Republic of Congo border, the northernmost extension of that forest type, and it held forest elephant, bongo, giant forest hog and chimpanzee. It is one of very few forest reserves in a country that is overwhelmingly savanna; it was set up in 1939, is an Important Bird Area and takes its name from Bangani hill, 679 metres. Management lapsed decades ago and it is effectively unadministered. The reserve covers only around a hundred and seventy square kilometres, which is small by South Sudanese standards. Its value is the forest type rather than the area.

The landscape

• The rainforest - the northernmost reach of the Congolian forest type.
• The bongo - the forest antelope recorded in the reserve.
• The chimpanzees - the population in the forest block.
• The rarity - forest habitat in a country that is almost all savanna.

When to go

December to March is the dry season and the practical window. The rains from April make the tracks impassable. The forest is wet in most months.

What to expect

There is no functioning management or infrastructure. Wildlife sightings are very unlikely. Access needs serious arrangement and the region is remote.

Nearby

Yambio is northeast, and the Congolese border is south.

Key facts