Gabon is finally waking up to the significance of protecting its wildlife habitat. This African country, which did not have a single national park till now, has decided to leave aside a full 10 per cent of its land mass for establishing some 13 national parks spread over more than 25,900 square kilometres. The parks containing pristine tropical rainforests are the habitats of gorillas, chimpanzees and wild elephants."This is a decision of global significance that implies certain sacrifices in the short and medium term to achieve our goal of preserving these natural wonders," said Gabon President El Hadj Omar Bongo.
The new Ivindo National Park will protect the Kongou and Mingouli falls, the biggest and most spectacular waterfalls of forested Africa, along with a number of waterhole clearings that attract a wide variety of wildlife. The Mayumba National Park houses the largest concentrations of nesting leatherback turtles on earth.
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