Dzanga National Park mammal records (Central African Republic, 2025)

Site Summary: In March 2025 I visited Dzanga Bai and Bai Hokou, both in Dzanga National Park, with Ian Thompson. The +20 mammal species seen on four days in the park (excluding the buffer zone) included Forest Elephant, Bongo, Giant Forest Hog, Agile Mangabey and Noack’s Round-leaf Bat. My reptile records for Dzanga-Sangha are reported separately HERE and included Gonwouo’s Mabuya (Trachylepis gonwouoi).

Paul Carter: paulcarter@pacapix.com.
Posted: 6 July 2025. It is likely that further photos will be added later.
Note that my mammal sightings at Doli Lodge (in the buffer zone to Dzanga NP) are summarized in a separate post HERE.

Abbreviations: PH – Photographed. NP – Not photographed. iNat – iNaturalist.

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

A.  Mammal List

The list below includes one taxon identified at generic level only (written in capitals).

1. African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). Dzanga Bai. PH.
2. Noack’s Round-leaf Bat (Hipposideros ruber). Bai Hokou waterfall. PH. Lifer. iNat post.
3. Cyclops Round-leaf Bat (Doryrhina cyclops). Bai Hokou trail and Dzanga Bai trail. PH. Lifer. iNat post.
4. NYCTERIS species (Slit-faced Bat species). iNat post.
5. Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina). Dzanga Bai. PH. iNat post.
6. Marsh Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus). Dzanga Bai. NP.
7. Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni). Dzanga Bai. PH. Lifer.
8. Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus). Dzanga Bai. PH.
9. African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) ssp S. ca. Nanus (Forest Buffalo). Dzanga Bai. PH.
10. Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus). Dzanga Bai and the Bai Hokou area. PH. Lifer. iNat post-1 (DB) and post-2 (BH).
11. Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii). Bai Hokou area. PH. inat post.
12. Peters’s Duiker (Cephalophorus callipygus). Bai Hokou area. PH.
13. Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola). Bai Hokou area. NP.
14. Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus leucogenys). Dzanga Bai. PH. iNat post-1 and post-2
15. Green Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus poensis). Dzanga Bai road. NP.
16. Crowned Monkey (Cercopithecus pogonias). Dzanga Bai trail. PH.
17. Putty-nosed Monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans). Bai Hokou area and Dzanga Bai road. PH.
18. Moustached Monkey (Cercopithecus cephus). Road to Dzanga Bai. PH.
19. Agile Mangabey (Cercocebus agilis). Habituated troop in the Bai Hokou area. PH. iNat post.
20. Grey-cheeked Mangabey (Lophocebus albigena). Dzanga Bai trail. PH.
21. Guereza Colobus (Colobus guereza). Bai Hokou area and Dzanga Bai trail. PH.

B.  Mammal Images and Notes

Numbers in the list below refer follow those in the list above.

#1) African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis):

#2) Noack’s Round-leaf Bat (Hipposideros ruber):

#3) Cyclops Round-leaf Bat (Doryrhina cyclops):

#7) Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni):

#10) Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus):

#11) Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii):

#14) Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus leucogenys):

#19) Agile Mangabey (Cercocebus agilis):

#21) Guereza Colobus (Colobus guereza):

C.  Site Information

Dzanga NP and the buffer zone are within the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area, which includes various national parks and buffer zones.

Dzanga Bai:
Bais are natural open wetlands with mineral salts and are frequented by the larger mammals. Dzanga Bai, in the Dzanga sector of the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, is especially significant as up to 200 forest elephants might be present. The bai is about 500 meters long and 200 meters wide. WWF have constructed a large, covered platform at which you can camp overnight. From Doli Lodge it is a 45-minute drive to the Dzanga Bai Camp and a 40-45 minute walk, with guides, across a creek and into the rainforest, but longer if stopping to mammal-watch. On day-visits you have to leave Dzanga Bai by 4 PM, to minimize elephant encounters.
GPS: Dzanga Bai Camp: 2.942253°N 16.352154°E.
GPS: Dzanga Bai Tower: 2.954336°N 16.364109°E.

Bai Hokou:
The Bai Hokou ranger station is about a one-hour drive from Doli Lodge.
GPS: Bai Hokou Camp: 2.859772°N 16.467685°E.
The Saline Tour involves guided walks between the various bais. The Agile Mangabey Tracking Tour is a guided tour to the troop of habituated Agile Mangabeys. Our guides took us to trackers who had already located the troop.

D.  Trip Information

We had two one-night stays at Dzanga Bai (13 and 19 March). We also went on two guided day-trips to Bai Hokou (12 and 21 March); the first was focused on Mangabey Tracking and the second was a Saline Tour / Bai Walk. These trips were all done whilst we were based at Doli Lodge. Costs and logistics for these visits are summarised in my Doli Lodge report here.
Ian Thompson’s report for this trip was posted on mammalwatching.com here (on 6 July 2025).

E.  References

Refer to the country summary section here for references and links.

BBC Earth documentary series: “The Guardians”
Whilst at the lodge we met Mark McClean and Ben Zand who were working on a BBC Earth documentary series called The Guardians. The first episode features Dzanga-Sangha NP and can be seen HERE (on YouTube). Blue Hare Films: “The first episode was produced and directed by Mark and Ben Zand and features Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the fight for conservation is as complex as the rainforest itself. It celebrates the ranger Modiki (Africa Ranger of the Year 2024), a truly inspiring figure who went from poacher to protector. Through immersive patrols, we witness his powerful transformation and deep commitment to safeguarding the park’s precious biodiversity.”