Dja Faunal Reserve

South Region, Cameroon

---

Dja Faunal Reserve is a large protected rainforest area in the South Region of southeastern Cameroon, covering about 5,200–5,500 square kilometers and almost completely surrounded by the winding Dja River, which forms a natural boundary on three sides.

Designated first as a hunting reserve in 1950, it later became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, recognized for its rich biodiversity and largely undisturbed forest cover. The reserve sits within the Congo Basin and consists of lowland evergreen and semi‑evergreen rainforest, with swamps, riverine habitats, and small savanna pockets, supporting more than 1,500 plant species, over 100 mammal species, and around 320 bird species.

It is especially famous for its primates, including western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, mandrills, drills, and several monkey species, as well as forest elephants, leopards, and forest buffalo. The area is remote, with few roads and limited tourism access, and it is managed as a conservation zone where local communities and international partners work to curb poaching, illegal logging, and other threats to its unique tropical ecosystem.