At the heart of Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, a new eco-guard camp has just been handed over after more than five years of construction. A modern facility that transforms the living conditions of those who watch over one of the world’s most treasured forest heritage sites every day.
Long-Precarious Living Conditions
They patrol for weeks at a time through dense forest, in all weather, to protect one of the last great biodiversity reserves in Central Africa. Yet until recently, eco-guards returned to dilapidated housing with leaking roofs, muddy pathways, and failing sanitation. At the park headquarters in Mambele, old wooden buildings no longer met any basic comfort standards, making family life and rest particularly difficult for staff already subject to long absences in the forest. That era is now over.
A Modern Facility Integrated into Its Environment
Built in earth-brown tones that blend into the forest landscape, the new camp harmoniously integrates into the natural environment of this Cameroonian portion of the Sangha Tri-National. It includes around thirty housing units, each equipped with a modern bathroom block featuring a shower and toilet. Shared facilities include a laundry area, paved internal pathways, a drainage system, and an autonomous water supply system. A six-room guesthouse completes the complex, intended to accommodate visitors and partners in suitable conditions.
A Landmark Achievement Despite Major Constraints
The project required more than five years to complete, marked by delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the logistical constraints inherent to the area’s remoteness. Its provisional handover was confirmed during a mission led by Romain Kana, Head of the Programmes Division of the FTNS, in the presence of architect Dirk Harder, representatives of the construction company, and park management. The team toured all the facilities to assess their quality before the official handover of keys.
A Direct Lever for Conservation Effectiveness
For Guy Biloa, Warden of Lobéké National Park, this achievement goes beyond a simple matter of comfort: “This infrastructure will considerably improve the image of the park and offer better living conditions to the eco-guards. By improving their comfort, it will also help strengthen the operational effectiveness of conservation activities.”
Better-housed staff are more committed, more stable, and more effective in the field. In a park where the fight against poaching demands a constant presence and long-duration patrols, the living conditions of personnel are not a minor detail — they are a condition for success.
An International Partnership in Service of World Heritage
The construction of this camp was made possible through the financial and technical support of the FTNS, with the backing of German development cooperation. Lobéké National Park is part of the Sangha Tri-National, a transboundary forest landscape shared between Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This international partnership illustrates the collective mobilization around the preservation of an exceptional shared heritage.
Protecting the Forest Means Investing in Those Who Protect It
The commissioning of this camp sends a clear signal: the sustainability of conservation efforts depends on a stronger consideration of human needs. By improving the living environment of eco-guards, Lobéké National Park strengthens the foundations of its protection work and contributes to the long-term preservation of one of Central Africa’s most important forest massifs.
By providing its eco-guards with a dignified living environment, Lobéké National Park sends a powerful message: protecting the forest begins with taking care of those who guard it.
This camp was built with the support of the Fondation pour le Tri-National de la Sangha (FTNS) and German development cooperation, as part of a comprehensive approach aimed at strengthening the operational and human capacities for conservation across the TNS landscape.
