Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park is a large protected area in the northern Central African Republic covering savanna, floodplain and gallery forest habitats. It was recognised for its importance to regional biodiversity and populations of large mammals.

Historically the park supported significant populations of elephants, buffalo, antelopes and other characteristic savanna species and was noted for its mosaic of open plains and riverine woodlands. In the late 20th century it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for these values.

Since inscription the park has experienced severe pressures from poaching and armed conflict that have reduced wildlife numbers and degraded management capacity; these problems led to its listing as a World Heritage Site in Danger. Conservation efforts have been constrained by security and governance challenges.

The reserve lies in the Bamingui-Bangoran area of northeastern Central African Republic, occupying remote savanna landscapes with seasonal rivers and floodplains.

• UNESCO status: Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its biodiversity values and later placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of poaching, armed conflict and a breakdown in management capacity.
• Access and security: Security and conservation issues have limited access and wildlife populations have declined in recent decades, so visits require official permission and up-to-date security information.

What to See #

• Manovo-Gounda sector: The Manovo-Gounda sector, a broad savanna plain and riverine areas that historically supported high densities of large mammals.
• St. Floris sector: The St. Floris sector, comprising wooded savanna and gallery forest patches with seasonal wildlife concentrations and floodplain habitats.