National Geographic - UK (2022-05)

MOUKALAMO

DOUDOU N.PDOUDO

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WAKA N.P.AA

OOGOGO PLATEAUPLATEA

BATÉKÉ N.P.BATÉKÉ

MONTS MONTS

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IVINDO N.P.VINDO N.P.

MINKÉBÉ N.P.MINKÉBÉ N.P.

.... MWAGNÉ N.P.GNÉ N.P.

PONGARA PONG

N.P.N.P.

MONTS DE MONTS

CRISTAL N.P.CRIS

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LLOPÉLOPÉLOPÉOPÉ

N.N.P.N.P.N.P.P.

WAKA N.P.WAWAKA N.P.WAKA N.P.WAKA N.P.KA N.P.

MOUKALABA-MOUKALAMOUKALAMOUKALAMOUKALAALABA-LABA-LABA-LABA-

DOUDOU N.P.DOUDOU N.PDOUDOU N.PDOUDOU N.PDOUDOU N.PN.P.N.P.N.P.N.P.

LOANGO N.P.LOLOLOLOOANGO N.P.OANGO N.P.OANGO N.P.OANGO N.P. PLATEAUPLATEAUPLATEAUPLATEAUPLATEAU

BATÉKÉ N.P.BATÉKÉ N.P.BATÉKÉ N.P.BBATÉKÉ N.P.ATÉKÉ N.P.

MONTS MOMONTSMONTSMONTSNTS

BIROUGOU N.P.BIRBIROUGOU N.P.BIROUGOU N.P.BIROUGOU N.P.OUGOU N.P.

IVINDO N.P.IIVINDO N.P.IVINDO N.P.IVINDO N.P.VINDO N.P.

MINKÉBÉ N.P.MINKÉBÉ N.P.MINKÉBÉ N.P.MINKÉBÉ N.P.MINKÉBÉ N.P.

AKANDA AKANDA AKANDA AKANDA N.P.AKANDA NNNNA N.P.A N.P.A N.P.A N.P. MWAGNÉ N.P.MMWAGNÉ N.P.MWAGNÉ N.P.MWAGNÉ N.P.WAGNÉ N.P.

PONGARA POPONGARA PONGARA PONGARA NGARA

N.P.N.N.P.N.P.N.P.P.

WONGA-WONGUÉ WONWOWOWOWONGA-WONGUÉ WONGA-WONGUÉWONGA-WONGUÉWONGA-WONGUÉ

PRESIDENTIAL RES.PREPREPREPRERESIDENTIAL RES.ESIDENTIAL RES.ESIDENTIAL RES.ESIDENTIAL RES.

MONTS DE MOMONTS DEMONTS DEMONTS DENTS DE

CRISTAL N.P.CCRISTAL N.P.CRISTAL N.P.CRISTAL N.P.RISTAL N.P.

Tropical forest

Disturbed forest

Intact forest*

Unforested land

Savanna elephant

Loxodonta africana

Forest elephant

Loxodonta cyclotis

Research station

Lopé Kazamabika

LOPÉ NATIONAL PARK

Conng

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Conngooollliancoastaaalffforests

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ts

.

1 km

1 mi

Trees under observation

O. procerumtree

Train

station

Le Chameau

2 ,215 ft

675 m

Mt. Brazza

1,640 ft

500 m

GABON

A FRICA

1986

Chance of encountering ripe fruit

in Lopé National Park

1 0%

5 %

0

2 0%

15%

2000 2010 2018

O. procerumand other fruits

important for elephants

All fruits

Climate change in Lopé N.P., 1984–201 8

+1. 5 °F - 10

INCHES OF

ANNUAL RAIN

DAILY MIN.

TEMPERATURE

TRACKING A FRUIT FAMINE

A 32-year survey in a pristine part

of Gabon’s forests recorded an

81 percent decline in the availabil-

ity of the fruits that elephants eat.

Climate change is most likely the

cause of the drop-off. A combi-

nation of warmer nights and less

rainfall is thought to be interfer-

ing with the natural triggers that

cause trees to grow fruit.

Studying the forest

Since 1986, researchers have

hiked trails created by ele-

phants to observe fruit on the

trees each month. This unique

survey of more than 2,000

trees is matched with on-the-

ground measurements of the

climate for the same period—

which are rare for this region.

The region’s nighttime temperature rose by 3.9

percent and annual rainfall dropped by 17.4 per-

cent compared with averages over 34 years.

ELEPHANT HAVEN

Millions of forest elephants are

believed to once have roamed

the entirety of Africa’s tropical

rainforests. Today the species

occupies only a quarter of its

former range, mostly in Gabon.

With dense forests and a low rate

of deforestation, the country

is home to about 95,000 forest

elephants, some 60 to 70 percent

of the global population.

Every year, 10 to 15

elephants are killed

by trains near Lopé.

Gabon’s forests cover

89 percent of its land

area. About a quarter

of that area is within

national parks.

*INTACT FOREST LANDSCAPES ARE AT LEAST 193 SQ MI

(500 KM²) AND MINIMALLY INFLUENCED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY.

MAP DATA: INTACT FOREST LANDSCAPES, 2020; IUCN; WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE; EC JRC; EO DATA

PROVIDED UNDER COPERNICUS BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ESA; © OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS