Odzala National Park: More about wildlife watching

Maya North Fauna

The principal animal species visiting Maya north saline :

Birds

Mammals

Reptiles

Little egret

Forest buffalo

Crocodile cataphractus

fish eagle

Black and white colobus

Hartlaub's duck

Forest elephant

Great white egret

Lowland gorilla

Cattle egret

Spotted hyena

Hadada ibis

Giant forest hog

Senegal kingfisher

Red bush pig

Hamerkop

Sitatunga

Yellow billed oxpecker

Palmnut vulture

Forest buffalo : Two herds of buffalo share the saline and can be seen every day. These herds are generally made up of a single male and several females with their young. They spend the night in the forest and come into the saline in the morning, often around about 10 o'clock. A few individuals spend the hottest hours of the day lying down at the edge of the saline, but they remain present in the saline until nightfall (6 p. m.). Occasionally other groups, or solitary males, visit the saline but these are often chased away by the « individuals ».

Sitatungas (marsh-living antelope) : A group of sitatungas live permanently in the saline and are visible from day break (6 a.m). They are most active in the morning hours. During the heat of the day some of them lie down in the long grass, but there are always several individuals visible. A range behaviours can be observed : suckling, grooming, feeding, reproduction.

Forest elephants : Elephant can be observed in the saline on over 90% of days. The frequentation goes down slightly during the two dry seasons (January and August). The average number seen daily is around 30 (varies between 10 and 90 depending on the month). The elephants tend to be more active at night in the saline but can almost always be seen in the early morning and late afternoon.

Western lowland gorillas : Like the elephants, gorillas are observed in the saline on over 90% of days. However the frequentation rate drops in January/February when fruit production in the forest peaks. At all other times the average daily number of gorillas seen in the saline is over 20. Gorillas tend to arrive during the morning and are most often seen between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. It is not unusual to see two or more groups using the saline at the same time.

To summarise :

Elephants are visible mainly in the morning and the evening (because they use the saline at night), while gorillas are generally present from 9h00 to 15h00. Gorilla frequentation drops in January/February. Elephant frequentation drops in January and in August.

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