Dzanga-Sangha Reserve: Gorilla trekking in Central African Republic

There’s plenty of reasons to book onto our Cameroon and Central African Republic tour.

The 12 night tour through the heart of Africa, begins in Cameroon’s capital city, Yaoundé and continues through the pineapple plantations, colonial towns, Bandu villages and dense jungle of Eastern Cameroon before crossing the border into the Central African Republic (C.A.R).

It’s here, after crossing the mighty Sangha River, on the edge of the Dzanga Sangha Reserve at the Sangha Lodge that the trip turns into a wildlife watcher’s dream. This leg of the trip gives travellers the opportunity to experience once in a lifetime wildlife trekking opportunities, with sightings of antelope, buffalo and a variety of birdlife commonplace among the lush, varied rainforest.

A day is also dedicated to spotting the African forest elephant, a gentle giant of the rainforest, in Dzanga Bai (known locally as ‘the elephant’s playground’), with elusive species like bongos, sitatungas and forest buffaloes also known to make appearances. Owing to the lodge’s isolated position on the edge of the Congo basin, with a mixture of lowland and intermediate rainforest, the habitat’s mixture of deciduous trees and hill zone make for a diverse wildlife picture that changes daily.

The most unique opportunity however, is the chance to come up close with wild western lowland gorillas.

Sitting a few meters away from a 200kg gorilla might seem daunting, but this experience is one that has for many years brought hope and conservation to the area. The Dzanga-Sangha Primate Habituation Program has been backed by the WWF since 1997 and is an effort to develop ecotourism and conservation through gorilla viewing.

The gorillas, which are notoriously difficult to track, have been habituated (accustomed to human presence) thanks to the expert skills of the famous local BaAka (pygmy) trackers. The BaAka’s deep knowledge of the rainforest and ability to locate the animals means a remarkable relationship has been built between human and animal, with around 400 people visiting the site each year.

Another crucial part of the project has been the presence of world-renowned conservationist, Rod Cassidy, who runs the world famous Sangha Lodge. The lodge has not only been a celebrated eco-tourism destination but a crucial base for scientists and researchers visiting the area.

Described by the Mammal Watch podcast as its ‘favourite lodge on the planet’, the accommodation and base sits on the bank of the mesmerising Sangha River with views over the surrounding rainforest. Rod is a lovely bloke and is more than happy to chat about his experiences in the area. His celebrated lodge is comfortable and the perfect place to return to after a day’s trekking. Few views in the world rival what can be seen from his deck as the sunrise illuminates the river fog and the surrounding rainforest awakens.

Gorilla tourism began in the area in 2001 after the first gorilla was habituated to human presence and the group of gorillas tracked on this trip over recent years was known as the Makumba group.

A group of 12, led by the namesake silverback, the group comprised a silverback, three females, two young adults, three juveniles and three kids. The Makumbas range in the area covered up to 20-25km² south-east of the base camp called Bai Hokou, as they scoured the forest for fruit.

Sadly, in May 2024, Makumba, who had become something of an ambassador after various nature documentary appearances and newspaper write-ups, was attacked by a lone gorilla and died. Believed to have been 45 years old, Makumba had lived a long life with his large family and had been visited by more than 10,000 people since his group had opened to the public in 2004.

Owing to his advanced age and interactions with other males prior to his death, Makumba’s death did not come as a surprise to those tracking him, but his presence will be missed nonetheless. His death resulted in the pausing of gorilla tracking trips until a new group could be safely habituated.

The new group are now ready for visitors and so all of our tours will now spend a day trekking through the rainforest with BaAka guides, tracking and getting up close (a seven metre distance) to a family of lowland gorillas as they travel in pursuit of fruit.

This experience not only allows visitors to observe these beautiful animals in their natural habitat but the proximity also highlights their personalities, whether a strong confident silverback or a shy, fluffy kid. Few places on earth provide such close encounters with nature and we’re pleased to be able to provide this part of the trip again after a year’s absence.