Lopé

At the heart of Gabon on the Ogooué river, a patchwork of savanna and forest. 

Park Highlights

• Gorilla observation
  The international reputation of the Lopé stems from the scientific research done there in the last 20 years on gorillas and chimpanzees. In October 2001, the Mikongo camp opened to develop international tourism aimed at the observation of gorillas in the forest.
•  Landscapes witness the past
  The oldest signs of human presence in forested Central Africa, dating from 400,000 years ago, have been found near the Lopé. The rock engravings of the Lopé are among the oldest in Central Africa. The magnificent Lopé landscapes were made famous by de Brazza.
• Exploring the Offoué
  The trip down the Offoué river resembles that of traditional journeys by pirogue in forested Africa.
• Mandrill troops
  The Lopé mandrill troops are huge. Troops can be made up of over 1,000 individuals. This makes them the biggest gatherings of primates known in the world.
• Birds
  Lopé is one of the sites most frequently visited by birdwatchers in Gabon. Nearly 400 different bird species have been recorded.

International status

• Gabon’s first protected area, Lopé is identified by IUCN as a critical site for conservation and has been proposed as a World Heritage Site.

Tourist facilities

• Ecofac (European Union) started up a management programme in 1993.
• The train journey to the Lopé is convenient and picturesque.
• A first class hotel can receive international guests.
• A well-developed network of paths allows observation of large mammals in the savanna, and of gorillas at Mikongo.