Lomako-Yokokala Nature Reserve- Travel Tips

What to See, How to Plan & Tours

Lomako-Yokokala Nature Reserve sprawls across roughly 3,602 km² in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo's Bas-Uélé and Tshuapa regions. Established in 2006, its protected forests serve as crucial habitat for bonobos—among the few locales where these apes live undisturbed—as well as the endemic Congo peafowl, forest elephants, giant pangolin, golden cat and bongo antelope. Thanks to earlier research dating to the 1970s and support from conservation bodies like the African Wildlife Foundation and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the reserve also includes supervised scientific tourism and a developing conservation-science infrastructure. Beyond its wildlife, the reserve plays a notable role in community-led conservation. Initiatives include training local eco-guards, anti-poaching patrols and sustainable livelihood programs designed to reduce pressures from bushmeat hunting and logging. Researchers recently recorded evidence of a breeding herd of forest elephants within the reserve, underlining its ecological importance for multiple flagship species.