Gabon wildlife safari

Planet

Gabon's environment, even more so than many other countries in Central Africa, is extremely fragile. With this in mind, we are committed to the preservation of the hugely important ecosystems Gabon still protects - we know better than most that ecosystems large and small here, from Minkebe to Mikongo, have already been lost due to poor management. As such, we always conduct ourselves responsibly in these areas, enjoying boat and walking safaris wherever possible, to minimise the environmental damage attributed to safari vehicles. We are also careful to minimise the impact of our presence on the wildlife we seek out - we will never attempt to view an animal when we deem our presence likely to cause the creature in question distressed. We will never pursue an animal that has chosen to move away from us. When spotlighting at night, we will endeavour not to spotlight diurnal animals, and we will never spotlight a young, injured or otherwise vulnerable animal.

It is imperative that we contribute directly to protection of the environment. The park entrance fees which are a part of the cost of this tour go directly to park authorities to be used in initiatives including anti-poaching and anti-wildlife trafficking measures.

People

It is vitally important that ecotourism contributes directly to local communities and the people therein. If done correctly, this will mean that local people are better enabled to attach long-lasting value to wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on, which does a huge amount to secure the long-term future of wildlife in countries like Gabon. With this in mind, we insist that the accommodation providers used during this tour contribute directly to the local economy - our accommodation in Loango in particular is run by members of the local community. More generally, we insist that local suppliers employ local people, and clients should expect that local guides, cooks, ecoguards, porters and housekeeping staff throughout the tour are Gabonese.

We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that is discriminatory or disrespectful towards local people. We ask that any issues are escalated to your tour leader, as ecotourism and the standards of western clients are new to many local suppliers in Gabon. We ask clients to avoid drinking to excess, to dress modestly when necessary, and to never take photographs of local people without their permission.