REPORT – If the western lowland gorillas are by far the most numerous species, they are also the least studied, because they are more difficult to approach.
In Loango (Gabon)
It is a magical setting, four hours by road from Port-Gentil (Gabon), then one hour by speedboat. Within the natural park of Loango unfolds the large natural lagoon Iguéla, lined with mangroves. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. In Loango, the gorillas have access from the forest to the beach!”, assures Shelly Masi, primatologist at the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), in Paris. She herself has not yet been to this protected site, but she knows the scientific manager of the experiment well, Martha Robbins, her former thesis director at the Max Planck Institute, in Leipzig (Germany).
The tropical forest is imposing and the team has created a friendly place. At the foot of the forest, a wooden bungalow welcomes visitors around a large meeting table. Other huts set back are equipped with mosquito nets to accommodate the permanent team of 19 people, researchers, guides and trackers. Nothing seems to be missing. Next to a…
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