Sangha Trinational (French: Trinational de la Sangha, TNS) is a forest shared by three countries: the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 because of its rich variety of plant and animal life and unique ecosystems. The area includes three connected national parks within the tropical forests of Central Africa: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Congo, Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic. The large size of the site and the limited amount of forest loss in the three parks have helped populations of animals such as African forest elephants, gorillas, sitatunga, and chimpanzees to survive. The area also protects plants that are in danger of disappearing, such as the Mukulungu species.
Animal diversity
The Dzanga-Sangha reserve website lists 103 mammal species found in the Sangha landscape, including 16 monkey species, 13 carnivore species, and 33 rodent species, which is the largest group. Chiropterans (bats) have not been counted. Important species include forest elephants, lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, Colobus monkeys (called “Magistrats” locally), bongos, large antelopes, forest buffaloes, Potamochoerus, Giant forest hog (two types of African wild boar), six species of small antelopes from the Cephalophus genus, aardvarks, two pangolin species, and carnivores such as the African clawless otter and leopard.
A first count of bats in the Dzanga-Ndoki park found about thirty species from six families.
Birds include 379 species across 66 families, with 109 species found only in the forest, such as the Sangha robin (Stiphrornis sanghensis). The Grey-necked rockfowl, which is common in the region, is also present. The Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), like other birds, has been illegally captured in large numbers for sale.
A study of amphibians and reptiles near the Nouabalé-Ndoki protected area identified 20 amphibian species and 14 reptile species.
Insects include 316 butterfly species from at least ten families, such as the two largest butterflies in the region: Druryaan timachus and D. zalmoxis. There are also 101 species of beetles that eat animal droppings, 61 species of odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), 31 locust species, and many hymenopterans like ants (including the Magnan ant), Melipona bees, wasps, termites, and other insect families.
A total of 71 mantis species (Mantodea) were recorded based on 1,232 specimens collected between 1984 and 2012. The study notes that further work is needed to confirm the classification of these species.
A genetic study of 153 earthworms collected in 2012 found 22 molecular species, which are likely new to science because no previous research had been done in the area.