Lope National Park, hangs from the equator like a trophy flag, covering 1,918 square miles in the center of
Gabon that are home to the highest density of large mammals ever recorded in a tropical forest, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is very beautiful and eighty percent of
Gabon‘s forest is intact. Spotting our relatives, the gorillas is best achieved by mutual avoidance.
Photo by: giles.breton
The males have red, white and blue faces, yellow beards and hugely indiscreet behinds. They hang around alone in the forest except when they need female companionship. This must be a terrible shock to their systems since females travel with as many as 1,000 of their friends and families. These are the largest primate gatherings in the world, but they’re amazingly hard to locate. Western lowland gorillas have never been easy to find because they’re heavily hunted for the lucrative African trade in wild meat and live in a dense forest habitat.
Photo by: bernard_in_va
Air France, flies from
New York to
Libreville, the capital, for about $1,500 round trip. Several airlines fly there from
Europe. Visas are required and can be obtained through the
Embassy of Gabon. Americans receive a five-year visa for $100. Processing should take under a week, officials say. The
Lope Hotel in
Lope, has 20 rooms and 3 bungalows, air-conditioning, excellent food and a swimming pool. It offers river excursions and tours. Rates run $60 to $150.
Photo by: bernard_in_va
No comments:
Post a Comment