Dja Faunal Reserve
One of Africa's largest, least-disturbed rainforests — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
History
Almost entirely encircled by the Dja River, this 5,260 km² reserve is one of the largest and best-protected areas of rainforest in Africa, with roughly 90% of it left undisturbed by human activity. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1987 for its exceptional biodiversity, including western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and over 100 mammal species. Baka communities, forest people with a long history of low-impact hunting and gathering in this region, still live in and around the reserve, and their ecological knowledge has informed much of the conservation work carried out there.
Beyond the facts
Culture & traditions
A living tradition or belief tied to the place, distinct from its recorded history.
The Baka practise a distinctive polyphonic and yodelled singing style, performed communally during forest rituals and social gatherings, that UNESCO recognised in 2003 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Central to Baka spirituality is Jengi, a forest spirit invoked to ensure a successful hunt and to initiate young men into adulthood, appearing at ceremonies as a costumed figure covered in raffia leaves.