An aerial shot of a tropical forest with a river running through.

See 'the lungs of Africa' through the eyes of a photographer

Sheltering an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, including western lowland gorillas and forest elephants, is a vast, little-visited tropical rainforest known as the ‘lungs of Africa’. Odzala-Kokoua National Park lies deep in the Republic of Congo and is protected by locals on a mission to guard and conserve the natural wonders on their doorstep.

Congo's little-visited Odzala-Kokoua National Park brims with lively stretches of tropical rainforest.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
Story and photographs byMatt Dutile
Published March 15, 2026
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
An aerial shot of a river splitting into multiple meandering streams through a tropical rainforest.
One of Africa’s oldest national parks, Odzala-Kokoua has diverse ecosystems that include tropical rainforests, savannahs, swamps and mineral-rich woodland clearings known as baï.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
The interior of a wooden lodge with the building's skeleton revealed on the inside.
Kamba African Rainforest Experiences is the only private operator here, managing a collection of three lodges in those varied ecosystems.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A POV perspective from the back row of a safari car, looking out on the road ahead.
From these, it launches game drives, walking safaris and kayak and boat trips down the Lekoli River.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A tour guide standing shin-deep in a river surrounded by a tropical rainforest, holding up both arms to motion an elephant to pay attention.
Head field guide Dylan Smith takes visitors on foot from Lango Lodge along a series of water-logged paths created over generations by forest elephants. It’s a pulse-quickening experience to come across one while quietly wading through the channels.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A bird taking flight from the surface of a river.
The baï also shelter hippos, striped antelopes like bongo and sitatunga, and over 400 bird species, including the brown-feathered hamerkop.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A small gorilla sitting on a branch high up in the crown of a tree.
A gorilla foot print in the sand.
Abutting Odzala is the Ndzehi concession, home to the critically endangered western lowland gorilla. Their smaller stature makes them nimble tree climbers, unlike their mountain cousins in Rwanda and Uganda. Three families have been habituated, primarily for the purpose of scientific study, but small groups of visitors can also observe their natural behaviour.
Photograph by Matt Dutile (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Matt Dutile (Bottom) (Right)
A local guide looking up at a rainforest, photographed from behind.
Kamba trains Congolese guides, like Stive Massala Boukongo. Trainees graduate after four weeks of teaching and a three-month internship.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A simple, wooden lodge in the middle of a rainforest with overhanging balcony as a river courses past.
During that time, their home base is Mboko Lodge, a former research station, but they travel from camp to camp with guests, too.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A close-up of a hand holding fish eggs.
They learn everything from wildlife safety protocols to species identification, down to the tiniest frog eggs.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A spotted caterpillar arching its long body into a perfect open loop on a branch.
Life comes in all shapes and sizes in Odzala, from 3cm-long looper moth caterpillars to 50-stone African forest buffaloes.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A herd of buffaloes wading through a shallow river at the edge of a rainforest.
Small herds of buffalo enjoy a good wallow in the baï, where cattle egrets and yellow-billed oxpeckers pick nuisance parasites from their hides.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A close-up of a hand of mulberries on a stem.
Fruit, like the sweet and tart giant yellow mulberry, is also abundant in Odzala and accounts for one of the highest diversities of primates in the continent, including chimpanzees and mandrills.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
A portrait of a smiling, local guide in safari uniform, leaning against the wooden railing of a bridge.
Protecting those primates and other fauna is the job of the ‘guardians of the forest’. Led by Martin Alex Mpoko, its 11 members sweep the region for poachers and snares. They also increase awareness among villagers of the benefits of preserving the rare ecosystems in this unique part of the world.
Photograph by Matt Dutile
Published in the March 2026 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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