Situated between the Nkomi and Ndogo Lagoons, Loango is the Jewel of Africa's western coast. Mike Fay called Loango ' Africas' Last Eden' and Nick Nicols from National Geographic made pictures in Loango of surfing hippos. They both called Loango ' Land of surfing hippos'. The 1550 Km variety of savanna, pristine beach, forest and mangroves is a must see in Gabon.
Loango offers breathtaking panoramas and the unique opportunity to observe elephant, buffalo, hippo, gorilla and leopard venturing onto the white sand beachfront. |
The largest concentration and variety of whales and dolphins
after South Africa can be found right off the Loango coast. The humpback
whales and killer whales are easy to observe. The area has over 100
kilometres of uninhabited coastline. This is the most beautiful spot on
Africa's western coast - where forests, savannas, westlands, lagoons and
ocean meet. Loango is renowed worldwide as a site for tarpon of record size,
as well as many other large saltwater fish.
Previously classed as a faunal reserve, the zone is acknowledged by IUZCN as
a Critical Site for conservation. Also a Ramsar Site, it has recently been
proposed as a World Heritage Site. |
History of the Loango national Park
It was in 1956 that the first regional faunal reserves were created in and around Loango to promote sustainable use of the area’s wildlife and wild lands. In November 2002, President Omar Bongo, heeding the relentless lobbying by international NGO’s such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and several tireless conservationists, signed a decree creating 12 new national parks in Gabon.
Combined, the twelve
parks created in 2002 represent 10% of the landmass of Gabon.
One of the more spectacular parks in this system is the Loango
National Park. The boundary of the Loango National Park begins
at the lagoon edge at the foot of the Loango Lodge and extends
westwards and southwards encompassing some 1550 square kilometers
of land. The landscape is comprised of a number of different
habitats ranging from swamp forest to a gallery-forest/savanna
mosaic to coastal scrub and nearly 100 kms of beach that stretches
along the Atlantic coast.
Very few villages currently exist within the park, as most are located on the opposite bank of the Ngove Lagoon. As such, the park is nearly devoid of people and home only to a vast and spectacular array of terrestrial, avian and marine wildlife.
While some of these animals inhabitat
specific ecological niches to which they have adapted and
shaped over time immemorial, others such as elephants and
buffalo range across a number of landscapes. Many of the animals
can be encountered by visitors either on foot, in a vehicle,
or seen from a blind. |
People of Loango
Like most peoples around the globe, the human inhabitants of the Loango area remain dependant on the natural resources, which surround them for their daily needs and income production requirements. Today, although many Gabonese citizens have migrated towards urban centres and or taken up employment within modern industries such as oil and timber production, most individuals living in traditional villages still depend heavily upon their natural surroundings for their traditional day to day needs.
Village dwelling peoples use a slash-and-burn
agricultural technique and grow a number of domesticated plant
species ranging from manioc to peanuts and mustard greens.
While women are responsible for most of the gardening chores
save for the preliminary felling and clearing of trees and
brush, many village men make their living either by fishing
or by hunting. Fishermen use long nets, throw nets, gill nets,
long lines, baited hooks, fish traps and spears to catch fish
and shrimp. Land crabs are also caught by hand. Traditionally
hunting techniques such as bow and arrow, spears, deadfall
and spring traps, have been replaced by large calibre rifles
and shotguns. A number of other food products are harvested
wild in the forest or savannah or from the beaches such as
turtle eggs. |
