Ogooue – River of the Rains

The Ogooue River flows throughout the year through the lush tropical rainforest of Gabon in West Africa. The country is an unspoiled wildlife haven where nature is almost untouched by humans, providing a precious refuge for endangered primates such as western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and black colobus monkeys. Other magnificent inhabitants of the evergreen equatorial jungle include forest elephants and forest buffaloes, which are both smaller than their cousins found in the grassland areas of Africa. The Ogooue River hosts all three of the species of crocodile found in Africa – the well-known Nile crocodile, the diminutive dwarf crocodile and the slender-snouted crocodile. The quieter areas of the river are also home to other underwater hunters such as spotted-neck otters. The river ends in an expansive delta, a rich part of the river where migrant seabirds stop to replenish their reserves during their long journey.