Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua

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Odzala-Kokoua National Park: A Biodiversity Hotspot in Central Africa

Odzala-Kokoua National Park, located in the Republic of the Congo, stands out as a significant conservation area in Central Africa. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, this expansive park offers a unique glimpse into the process of post-glacial forest recolonization of savanna ecosystems.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This property is an excellent example, at an exceptionally large-scale, of the process of post-glacial forest recolonization of savanna ecosystems. It is therefore ecologically significant as a convergence point of multiple ecosystem types (Congolese Forest, Lower Guinean Forest and Savanna). The broad range of age classifications across the forest succession spectrum contributes to the park’s highly distinct ecology, incorporating a broad range of remarkable ecological processes. It is one of the most important strongholds for forest elephants in Central Africa, and is recognized as the park with the richest primate diversity in the region.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ix): The forest ecosystem is characterized by its great diversity of formations of very different ages over an enormous area. The property represents all stages of the savanna-to-forest succession process. Marantaceae forests cover around 60% of the property. These forests are highly diversified, representing both progressive succession stages, as seen in other sites in west-central Africa, and regressive stages where mature forests are invaded by the highly aggressive Marantaceae species Haumania liebrechtsiana. The forest dynamics within FMOK are driven by complex and still insufficiently understood ecological processes. The presence of more than 130 marshy clearings maintained by wildlife is not exceptional in itself, but contributes greatly to the significance of the property. These clearings function as vital exchange hubs for nutrients and play a critical role in determining the movements of elephants, which are essential agents of forest dynamics. Moreover, this forest ecosystem, with predominant Lower Guinean affinities, is highly representative of the forests within the Sangha interval and, more specifically, of the advancing front of Lower Guinean forests as they reclaim savanna areas. This virtually untouched forest ecosystem helps to preserve the integrity of the waters of the Mambili basin, and thus the vast interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Criterion (x): The FMOK's intact forest ecosystem is home to little-studied forest formations, including old-growth, saxicolous and mist forests. These mist forests are unique to northern Congo and the Sangha interval, and they provide habitat for at least 32 plant species that are not found elsewhere in the region, including one endemic species. In all, 1,150 plant species have been identified, of which four are endemic and 15 are classified as threatened to varying degrees. In terms of fauna, this ecosystem supports at least 120 species of mammals. These include 20 threatened species and 17 primate species, including 9 species endemic or sub-endemic to Lower Guinea. The populations of 6,246 forest elephants, 11,481 gorillas, and 2,240 chimpanzees represent significant strongholds for the conservation of these threatened species. Notably, the only known population of forest-dwelling spotted hyenas in the Congo Basin occurs within the property. In terms of avian diversity, 463 bird species have been recorded, including 64% of the 278 forest species restricted to the Guinean-Congolese region, or 88% of the Guineo-Congolian bird species documented in Congo, two of the six endemic species of Lower Guinea and four threatened species. The insect fauna includes at least 647 species of diurnal butterflies, featuring one locally endemic species, numerous sub-endemic species of Lower Guinea, and several species that appear to be confined to the region’s Marantaceae forests. Lastly, the FMOK is also home to significant populations of threatened long-snouted crocodiles, dwarf crocodiles and two endemic fish species.

Encyclopedia Record: Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Odzala-Kokoua National Park is a national park in the Republic of the Congo. The park was first protected in 1935, declared a biosphere reserve in 1977, and granted official designation by presidential decree in 2001. Odzala-Kokoua has approximately 100 mammal species, and one of the continent's most diverse primate populations. The nonprofit conservation organization African Parks began managing the park in collaboration with the Ministry of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment of the Republic of the Congo in 2010.

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IUCN World Heritage Outlook

The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua reports the following assessment:

Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment