Can a once-thriving African wildlife sanctuary recover from the brink of total collapse?

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic, was once a beacon of biodiversity. Today, it serves as a stark reminder of how quickly poaching and insecurity can devastate a protected landscape, wiping out nearly all of its iconic animal populations.

Established in 1988, Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park spans the northern reaches of the Bamingui-Bangoran province, bordered by the Aouk and Kameur Rivers to the north and the Massif des Bongo ridge to the south. Historically, the region was a vital habitat for diverse species, including African elephants, Sudan cheetahs, Kordofan giraffes, and West African lions. Its northern floodplains were particularly rich, supporting significant waterfowl populations that earned the area recognition as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

The park's decline began in the late 1990s, marked by a surge in illegal grazing and poaching by heavily armed groups. These activities were so severe that estimates suggest up to 80% of the park's wildlife may have been harvested. The situation reached a breaking point in early 1997, when four staff members were killed, effectively ending tourism and all active development projects. The ecological toll was absolute for some species; the western black rhinoceros, once indigenous to the region, was declared extinct in 2011.

Recognizing the severity of the crisis, the World Heritage Committee placed the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Efforts to reverse this trajectory have been ongoing since the late 1990s, with the committee recommending comprehensive rehabilitation plans and the government exploring private management solutions. While the damage remains profound, current initiatives, including specialized breeding programs, are attempting to restore the natural wildlife that once defined this vast, remote sanctuary.

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