Central African Republic

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris

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The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park covers an extensive savanna landscape that forms a transitional zone to the rainforests.

Here animal species from the East and West African savannas cross paths with those of the forests of the South. They include elephant, hippo, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, and buffalo. The park includes the entire basins of three rivers with grassy floodplains and wetlands. 320 bird species have been recorded.

Community Perspective: Gavin reports about the poaching situation in 1997 (the black rhino and lion mentioned in the original nomination have already disappeared from the park).

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park (ID: 475)
Country
Central African Republic
Status
Inscribed 1988 Site history
History of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris
1997: In Danger
poaching and illegal grazing
1988: Inscribed
Inscribed
In Danger
poaching and illegal grazing Since 1997
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Wildlife habitat: Fauna
Travel Information
Red Zone Travel Advisory
Red Zone Travel Advisory
C.A.R. fully off-limits
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “Le tourisme est impossible dans la région en raison de l'insécurité" (UNEP/WCMC, …
Recent Connections
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Connections of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris
Ecology
  • Rhino habitat
    Black rhino - Possibly extinct since the 1990s (link) or 2011 (wiki)

    See safaritalk.net

  • Elephants
    African elephant
  • Strepsirrhini
    Senegal bushbaby
  • High-Biodiversity Wilderness Area
    Congo Basin
  • Bovines
    African buffalo
  • Inselbergs

    "The plains are interspersed with small granitary inselbergs with, to the south, the rugged sandstone massif of the Bongos." (OUV statement)

  • Hippos
    "Several important large mammal species in terms of conservation live in the Park, such as black rhino, elephant, hippopotamus, ..." (OUV)
  • African Wild Dog
    "vast savannahs are home to a wide variety of species: .......wild dogs" (UNESCO Web desc)
  • Savanna
    "the largest park in the Central African savannas.... an interesting example of a “crossroads” where the species from savanna communities of East and West Africa, as well as those of the forest communities of the South, cross paths" (OUV)
  • Over 300 bird species
    Some 320 species of birds have been recorded in the Park (OUV Crit X)
  • Critically endangered fauna species
    Black Rhinoceros - "Population size collapsed during the last century, from an estimated 65,000 animals in 1970 to a mere 2,300 in the 1990s. Rhino numbers are now increasing, but recovery is slow"

    See www.edgeofexistence.org

Damaged
  • Poaching
    numerous threats, poaching in particular (notably of rhinoceros, elephant and giraffe)
World Heritage Process
WHS on Other Lists
Visiting conditions
WHS Names
  • Named after a River
    - "Five major rivers thread through the Park from the massif in the south east to the Bahr Aouk - Bahr Kameur floodplain in the north: the Vakaga on the eastern boundary, the Goro, Gounda, Koumbala, and the Manovo on the western boundary"
  • Named after individual people
    Named in July 1940 after Henri Bouvard de Saint Floris (1888-1937). Inspector of Hunting in French Equatorial Africa and writer of several books articles on Africa

    See www.persee.fr

News

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Community Reviews

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First published: 24/05/08.

Anonymous

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris (Inscribed)

When my wife and I went to Africa with a few friends in order to see the wildlife, we didn't expect to be travelling this far away from where we were staying.

However, our friends got in contact with a guide and we travelled for 2 days 100km north. We arrived in early morning and it was one of the most beautiful sites we had seen.

The vast amount of wildlife was overwhelming and when my wife managed to touch a deer she was overjoyed. It was an amazing experience and we had a truly bewildering time.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris (Inscribed)

This Park is located in Northern Region of the Central African Republic is a diverse and magic place worthy of its place on the World Heritage Site.I worked there as part of an EU project called PDRN, I lived in one of the projects locations called Manovo in 1997.The other bases were at Gordil, Biroua, Ndele and Sangba.The project was an EU funded projetc managed by an International staff employed by an organisation based in Brussells called AGRER, working in partnership with National staff from the Department of Water and Forests.I was responsible for the training of anti-poaching units who were responsible for the security of the wildlife and habitats within the Parks boundaries.Unfortunately the are no longer rhino in the region having been totally removed by poaching.The remaining Hippo and Elephant are under severe poaching threat and will follow the rhino if action to secure their environment is not met.Unfortunately the country is not stable enough to support a tourist trade in the northern region.If the stabilty of the region were to change for the better and tourism infrastructure improved this Parc will offer a treasure of natural beauty and wildlife not witnessed in many parts of Africa.

To get to CAR from Europe fly from Paris with Air France to the Capital Bangui or with Air Afrique again from Paris.The SOFITEL in Bangui is the best Hotel to stay in, situated on the banks of the Oubangui river.But you need to check the situation regarding safety to travel …

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