Doli Lodge mammal records (Central African Republic, 2025). DRAFT

Posted by Paul Carter

Site Summary: On a visit to Doli Lodge for two weeks in March 2025 (with Ian Thompson) I saw +24 mammal species in the lodge area. Mammal highlights were Cameroon Scaly-tail, Derby’s Anomalure, Beecroft’s Anomalure and Yellow-winged False Vampire (apparently rare in forests). Only two snakes were seen, Western Forest Centipede-Eater and Blue-tailed Nocturnal Tree Snake. My reptile sightings are described in a separate report here.
DRAFT version – more images will be posted shortly

Paul Carter:  paulcarter@pacapix.com.
Posted:         7 July 2025 (draft version).
Note that a separate report on my mammal records in Dzanga National Park is posted here.

Abbreviations: PH – Photographed. NP – Not photographed. iNat – iNaturalist. MDD – Mammal Diversity Database. MOL – Map of Life. 24-hour time is written as “hhmm” e.g. “3:49 PM” is written as “1549” or “1549h”.

Contents
a)  Mammal list
b)  Mammal images
c)  Site information
d)  Trip information
e)  References

A.  Mammal List

The list below includes two taxa identified at generic level only (written in capitals).

  1. Lesser Large-headed Shrew (Paracrocidura schoutedeni). PH. PC only.
  2. Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus). PH. Common. iNat post.
  3. Benito Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros beatus). PH. PC only.
  4. Cyclops Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina cyclops). PH.
  5. Franquet’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomops franqueti). NP. PC only.
  6. Yellow-winged False Vampire (Lavia frons). PH. PC only. iNat post.
  7. African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata). PH. iNat post.
  8. Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola). (17/3). PH. PC only. iNat post.
  9. Forest Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys emini). (24/3). PH. iNat post.
  10. Western Rainforest Thicket Rat (Thamnomys poensis). PH. Tentative ID.
  11. HYLOMYSCUS species (Wood Mouse species). Doli Lodge area.
  12. PRAOMYS species (Soft-furred Mouse species). Doli Lodge area.
  13. Derby’s Anomalure (Anomalurus derbianus). PH. Common. iNat post.
  14. Beecroft’s Anomalure (Anomalurus beecrofti). (17/3). PH. Common. iNat post-1 and post-2.
  15. Cameroon Scaly-tail (Zenkerella insignis). (18/3). NP. PC only.
  16. Lorraine’s African Dormouse (Graphiurus lorraineus). NP. PC only.
  17. Burton’s Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus isabella). NP. Heard at Doli (seen elsewhere).
  18. Red-legged Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus rufobrachium). PH.
  19. Green Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus poensis). NP.
  20. African Giant Squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri).
  21. Central Potto (Perodicticus edwardsi). PH. Common.
  22. Southern Needle-clawed Galago (Euoticus elegantulus). PH. Common.
  23. Demidoff’s Dwarf Galago (Galagoides demidoff). PH. Common
  24. Thomas’s Dwarf Galago (Galagoides thomasi). PH (poor).
  25. De Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus). NP.
  26. Moustached Monkey (Cercopithecus cephus). PH. Common.

Mammals seen near the lodge by Ian and not by me include:
1. African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).
2. Western Palm Squirrel (Epixerus ebii).
3. Thomas’s Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus).
4. Golden Fruit Bat (Casinycteris argynnis).
Ian Thompson posted his trip report on mammalwatching.com here.

Key species not seen but known to occur in the area:
1. Dwarf Anomalure (Anomalurus pusillus).

Return to Contents.

B.  Mammal Images

Draft version – images are being posted.

#2) Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus):

Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus). Doli Lodge area. Image # 20250324-0188.

#6) Yellow-winged False Vampire (Lavia frons):

Yellow-winged False Vampire (Lavia frons). Doli Lodge area. Image # 20250324-0171.

#7) African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata):

African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata). Doli Lodge. Image # 20250312-0271.

#8) Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola):

Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola). Doli Lodge. Image #20250317-0089. Photographed from 2 meters .

#9) Forest Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys emini):

Forest Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys emini). Doli Lodge. Image #20250324-0163.

#13) Derby’s Anomalure (Anomalurus derbianus):

Derby’s Anomalure (Anomalurus derbianus). In a tree hollow near Doli Lodge. Image # 20250313-0052.
Derby’s Anomalure (Anomalurus derbianus). Doli Lodge garbage pit area. Image # 20250312-0251.

#14) Beecroft’s Anomalure (Anomalurus beecrofti):

Beecroft’s Anomalure (Anomalurus beecrofti). On a tree outside the Doli Lodge kitchen, 18 March 1438h. Image # 20250318-0104.
Beecroft’s Anomalure (Anomalurus beecrofti). Mossapoula Trail, 18 March 2018h. Image # 20250318-0140.

C.  Site Information

Doli Lodge is located 200 meters north of Bayanga Village and on the east bank of Sangha River (marked as Kadei River on Google Maps). Doli Lodge coordinates: 2.920300°N 16.255560°E.
Bayanga Village, Doli Lodge and Sangha Lodge are all within the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Special Reserve, a buffer zone around the various national parks.

Website: https://dzanga-sangha.org/visit-dzanga-sangha/doli-lodge/
Our main contact person was Nuria:  infodzangasangha@wwfcar.org, nortega@wwfcar.org
Flights: Regular flights on the WWF charter generally take place once a week.
Rooms: There are four two-bedroom bungalows on stilts. The 2025 March prices with full board were: (a) single occupancy €120, (b) double occupancy €180.
Meals: there was no menu; you are served the meal of the day subject to your dietary restrictions.
Power: there is power between 6.30 AM and 10.30 PM.
Internet: was available in the dining area but only when the power was on.

Fees (only for activities/services that we used):
Park entry fee daily: €40 each (paid for day visits to Dzanga Bai and Bai Hokou areas). 
4WD jeep costs: €150 per day or €75 / half-day.Leaving after 11 AM makes it a half-day drive.
Dzanga-Bai day visit: €40 each (2025).
Dzanga-Bai overnight visit (park entry fee included): €150 each.
Mangabey Tracking: €40 each.
Bai Hokou saline walk: €40 each.
Lamba Waterfall speedboat tour (using 100HP speedboat): € 150 per boat + Waterfall hike is €20/pers.
Motorcycle ride between Doli Lodge and Sangha Lodge – you can ask the camp manager to arrange.

Site Notes:
Mossapoula Trail: The 5 km trail starts from behind the Tourist Welcome Centre and leads to the Ba’Aka village of Mossapoula (also spelt as Mossopoula. Mossapola). The trail follows the Mossapoula River which joins the Sangha River 100 meters from Doli Lodge. The area is well-used by elephants.
Mabeya Falls / Lamba Falls: The falls are 6.5 km NW of Sangha Lodge (straight-line distance). From Doli Lodge it is a 30-minute speedboat ride on the Sangha River followed by a 30-minute hike through forest to the falls and to the top of the falls. The den of brush-tailed porcupines and a hollow tree with some roosting bats referred to in previous reports were not known to our guides. Picathartes was not seen at the falls, where they are or were known to nest. The only mammal we saw on the hike was Benito Leaf-nosed Bat.
Lamba Falls coordinates: N3.01970° E16.18536°.

Return to Contents.

D.  Trip Information

On Tue11 March 2025 we flew from Bangui into Bayanga Village for a 14-nights trip. We stayed at Doli Lodge every night apart from two nights at Dzanga Bai (13 and 19 March). On 25 March we flew out of Bayanga back to Bangui and onto Addis Ababa.

E.  References and Links

See the list posted here for references and links.

Return to Contents.