Wildlife reserves

The different wildlife reserves are very rich and varied. They are more localized in the extreme North-West of the country.

1- The YATA-NGAYA Wildlife Reserve

Historically speaking, this large wildlife reserve, located in Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga just on the Sudanese border, was created at the same time as André Félix Park in 1940 to which it is adjacent. It currently covers an area of ​​4,200 km². Biogeographically, it is covered with Sudanian-type wooded savannahs including Isoberbinia, Combretum, Terminalia and Bombusa . On the outskirts, the plateaus rise to 1,400 m and the vegetation is denser there. Access is difficult and the water resources relatively rich. In the relatively recent past, the YATA-NGAYA wildlife reserve acts as a kind of buffer zone. It is endowed with a rather rich and varied fauna which is similar to that of the national park of André Félix.

2- The AOUK-AOUKALE Wildlife Reserve

Created in 1940, as a hunting reserve named "the district of Salamat", it is located in the extreme North-East of the country, in the extension of the Manovo-Gounda-Saint-Floris national park, covers an area of ​​3,300 km². The reserve is entirely comprised between the Bahr Kameur river which limits it to the south and the border of Chad in its northern part, its environment is composed of plains, vast meadows, numerous pools of plain and sandy savannas, with a tendency to aridification during the dry season, and some wooded islands.

As far as fauna is concerned, there are elephants, hippopotamus, derby eland, buffalo, hartebeest, antelope, bushbuck, waterbuck, various duikers, giraffe, lion , the striped hyena etc. Its location outside the country gives it some Sahelian characteristics, marked by the presence of species more common in these environments, the ruffron gazelle in particular, Austria has also been observed there. GRIBINGUI-BAMINGUI

When it was created, from 1933 to 1934, it was included in the Oubangui-Chari National Park. It was created as a wildlife reserve in 1940, and called the Gribingui-Bamingui wildlife reserve with an area of ​​4,500 km². Its creation was justified at the time by the presence of an abundant and varied fauna, including among others the black rhinoceros, but also high concentrations of other species. Today, the situation of the environment and the fauna are not known because of the difficulties of accessibility, the reserve is abandoned to itself and it is very likely that the conditions which led to its classification no longer exist. favorable to biodiversity in particular.

4- The KOUKOUROU-BAMINGUI Wildlife Reserve

This reserve was originally included within the limits of the Oubangui-Chari National Park in 1933. On December 10, 1933, it was classified as a wildlife reserve in 1940, with an area of ​​1,100 km² and bordered to the north by Bamingui , to the South-West by Koukourou and to the South-East by the Mbrés-Ndélé road. It is a relatively closed environment, made up of slightly undulating plains, covered with very wooded savannahs, numerous dry forests including clearings and with only a few meadows. The fauna found there has the most representative species: the Elephant, the Derby Eland, the Hippopotamus, the Buffalo, the Bushbuck, various duikers and many primates. The characteristics of the environment are very close to those of Bamingui-Bangoran and Gribingui-Bamingui.

5. NANA-BARYA wildlife reserve

This Reserve, created on December 11, 1953, is located in the Ouham basin in the northwest of the country, its northern limit is bordering Chad and covers an area of ​​2,300 km2. The relief is very flat, broken by a few hills, the vegetation is of the Sudanian type, consisting of wooded savannas in certain places; it is home to many permanent ponds. The fauna would be quite abundant there although the information concerning it is very rare; at least this zone had the reputation, in the past, of being very representative of Sudano-Guinean circles; there were: the Defassa waterbuck, the Hartebeest, the Guib Harnaché, the Hippopotamus, the Eland of Derby, the Buffalo, the Elephant, the Giraffe, the Black Rhinoceros, the Lion, the Panther and many primates.

6. OUANDJA-VAKAGA Wildlife Reserve

This is one of the very first Oubangui-Chari hunting reserves located in the Vakaga. It was created in 1925 having an unclear status, covers an area of ​​4,800 km2. It is adjoining the Manovo-Gounda-Saint-Floris National Park in its eastern part. The hydrographic network, abundantly fed, allows the presence of permanent water points which favor the abundance of fauna. The environment is characterized by the predominance of wooded savanna with Isoberlinia, developed on a relief of plateaus. The fauna is represented by species similar to those of the Nana-Barya Faunal Reserve. Finally, the presence of avifauna in this area has also been reported.

7. ZEMONGO Wildlife Reserve

This area, classified as a hunting reserve, was created in 1925, was enlarged in 1940, then in 1975. It is located in the extreme South - East of the Central African territory; this reserve is bordering Sudan, it would serve as a rear base and supply zone for the rebellion movements of South Sudan; one wonders about the situation of its fauna, which moreover is very poorly known (elephants, rhinoceros, derby eland, etc. were reported in the 1970s). There is a very strong probability that it was largely decimated. The natural environment is made up of closed vegetation: heavily wooded savannahs based on Isoberlinia with difficult-to-access gallery forests; some sectors have a very rugged relief, but it also includes plains of

8. The Gribingui—Bamingui wildlife reserve (4500 km2) created in 1933.

9. Dzanga-Sangha Faunal Reserve (313,900ha) created in 1990.