Leçon en classe · Odzala-Kokoua National Park · 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

Odzala-Kokoua National Park

One of Africa's oldest and most magical rainforests

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

Qu'est-ce que c'est ?

Odzala-Kokoua is one of Africa's oldest national parks, sitting in the heart of the Congo Basin rainforest. It is a vast sea of green trees, winding rivers and open forest clearings called 'bais' where animals gather to eat. Scientists love this park because it is home to some of the greatest numbers of western lowland gorillas anywhere on Earth.

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The park covers about 13,500 square kilometres - that is nearly the size of Northern Ireland! Tall trees stretch so high their tops form a roof called the canopy, keeping the forest floor cool and shady. Streams and rivers weave between the roots, carrying fresh water to thousands of animals.

The bais - muddy, grassy clearings - are Odzala's most special feature. Forest elephants, gorillas, buffaloes and red river hogs all gather at bais to lick minerals from the soil and eat the soft plants that grow there. Visitors who sit quietly in a wooden lookout platform can watch these amazing animals without disturbing them.

The sounds of the forest never stop. Tree frogs sing at night, birds call at dawn and chimpanzees hoot in the distance. Scientists who study animals here say that some parts of the park have barely been explored by humans - meaning there may still be creatures waiting to be discovered.

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Pistes de discussion

  1. 01Why do you think scientists choose to protect big areas of forest as national parks?
  2. 02Imagine you are sitting quietly in a lookout watching gorillas at a bai. How would you feel? What would you write in your field notebook?
  3. 03The forest floor is cool and shady even on hot days. Can you think of why the trees above would make such a difference?
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Activité en classe

Draw a cross-section of the rainforest showing four layers: forest floor, understorey, canopy and emergent layer. Choose one animal for each layer (hint: gorilla, chimpanzee, parrot, frog) and write one sentence about why it lives there.

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