The Dja Faunal Reserve –Cameroon (Central Africa)

The Dja Faunal Reserve is an extensive evergreen forest, situated on both the South and Eastern Regions of Cameroon. It is famed as the largest and best preserved tropical forests in Africa, with almost 90% of the territory still intact. Apart from its south-west section, the reserve is almost entirely encircled by the Dja River, which constitutes its natural boundary. The reserve is especially renowned for its biodiversity and a wide variety of primates. Spanning an area of about 526,000 ha, this wildlife sanctuary is home to 107 species of mammals; many of which are threatened; such as the western lowland gorilla, chimpanzee, and forest elephant. Founded in 1950, Dja is located in a transition zone of the forests of Southern Nigeria, South-West Cameroon and the forests of the Congo Basin. With its topographical diversity and three biogeographical and geological influences, it boasts a rich and varied ecosystem, which reflects its ecological status quo. It’s a member of the forest block considered to be the largest in Africa, in terms of excellent biodiversity preservation.

As regard relief, an overwhelming proportion of the reserve is fairly flat; and comprises a series of round-topped hills. The area in which courses the Dja River mainly consists of deep valleys on the south-eastern end of the plateau. Sharp cliffs stretch along the southern banks of the river for about 60km, with portions of the river segmented by rapids and waterfalls. The vegetation mainly comprises dense evergreen Congo rainforest, with a main canopy at 30-40 m, rising to 60 m. The shrub layer contains over 53 species. The forest is also rich in lianes. The herbaceous layer is primarily composed of Marantaceae and Mapania species. Other vegetation types include marshland and secondary forest. The reserve boasts a broad spectrum  of primate species, including western lowland gorilla, greater white-nosed guenon, moustached guenon, crowned guenon, talapoin, red-capped mangabey, white-cheeked mangabey, agile mangabey, drill, mandrill, potto, Demidorff's galago, black and white colobus monkey and chimpanzee. Other mammals include elephant, bongo, sitatunga, buffalo, leopard, warthog, giant forest hog and pangolin. Reptiles include python, lizard and two species of crocodile. The Dja also constitutes a habitat for numerous species of birds, such as Bates's weaver, and grey-necked picathartes.