The Congo rainforest is one of the most biologically rich and ecologically important places on Earth. Stretching across six countries and spanning more than two million km², it’s home to more than 400 species of mammal, including western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants. Yet much of this biodiversity remains hidden behind a veil of vegetation, rarely glimpsed by human eyes.
Over the course of a year, I set out on a project to lift that veil with a suite of camera-traps deep in the forest. My focus was on Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, in the far north of the Republic of the Congo – one of the last truly pristine corners of the Congo basin. The project wasn’t just about creating striking images. My goal was also to document seldom-seen and little-known species and produce a body of work that could quietly advocate for the protection of this hidden world.
Trekking to the forest
Getting to Nouabalé-Ndoki was an expedition in itself. After flying into Brazzaville, we drove for 12 hours to the remote town of Ouesso, then spent five hours heading up the Sangha River by boat to reach the park headquarters at Bomassa. From there, the journey continued by four-wheel drive and dugout canoe, followed by a trek through the rainforest to reach Mbeli Bai – a natural clearing in the forest and one of the best places in Central Africa to observe secretive forest wildlife. Here, rare animals such as sitatungas (swamp-dwelling antelopes) emerge to feed, drink and socialise.
Of Mbeli’s regular visitors, it was the forest elephants I was particularly keen to capture. Yet even in these relatively clear surroundings, photographing these giants proved challenging. The best view was from a rickety wooden canopy tower, but the distance made it difficult to capture anything truly intimate. In the forest itself, it was harder still. Unlike their savannah relatives, forest elephants are shy and elusive, disappearing effortlessly into the undergrowth. They’re also unpredictable and can be aggressive, making close encounters on foot particularly risky, especially in dense vegetation, where you might find yourself dangerously close before you even realise it.
The challenges of camera traps
This is why camera-traps were invaluable, and I deployed five units over the course of 12 months. During my first visit in January, I set up two cameras at Mbeli Bai and three at Goualougo, a remote research site deeper within the forest. The traps were maintained by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) researchers and Bayaka trackers, who regularly swapped memory cards and batteries while I was back home.
Camera-traps might be designed for tough environments but I soon found the Congo rainforest would test their limits. The air was so humid that even sealed housings required umpteen silica sachets to prevent internal condensation, while ants voraciously chewed through the rubber seals. One flash was crushed by a falling tree branch during a storm, and a camera at Mbeli Bai was dragged into a swamp by a mischievous elephant. Nonetheless, I was usually able to get the traps running again, and they captured a remarkable variety of images over the year.
Having successfully captured an initial set of ‘safe’ images, I returned in June to reposition the traps. I opted to move the two Mbeli Bai cameras to bolder placements at the edge of the clearing. These locations offered striking backdrops but came with a far greater risk of being discovered by my cantankerous subjects.
Indeed, throughout the project, elephants proved both my most impressive and most destructive quarry. Their intelligence made them quick to detect anything unfamiliar in their environment, and several of my set-ups were disrupted as a result. Still, I was determined to photograph an elephant framed by the distinctive backdrop of the Mbeli Bai. With guidance from WCS researchers, I identified a couple of well-used paths and positioned my equipment in a vulnerable but visually rewarding spot. The set-up included a remotely triggered camera paired with a passive infra-red sensor, but I avoided using flash to reduce the risk of drawing attention to it.
When I returned, months later, to retrieve the images, I found one of the cameras had been irrevocably damaged – yet I was thrilled to discover it had delivered a striking frame of a large male elephant, tusks gleaming, striding towards the camera with the Mbeli Bai stretching out behind him. It was exactly the shot I had hoped for and made the loss of the kit a bit easier to bear.
On my third and final visit in November, I relocated the three cameras from Goualougo to Mondika, another field site near the park’s border with the Central African Republic.
Photographing remarkable behaviours
My other favourite elephant shot came during this final trip. We were hiking to check the traps when a bull stepped into a river and blocked our path. He spent hours feeding midstream, making it quite clear he had no intention of letting us pass. While the trackers settled down to wait it out, I took the opportunity to photograph the elephant from a safe distance. As I was shooting, a shaft of sunlight broke through the canopy and lit up his flank, the light dancing off the water in front of him. Brief though it was, the moment perfectly distilled the rainforest’s magic.
Beyond the elephants, my cameras recorded a host of rarely seen animals: red river hogs, water chevrotains, yellow-backed duikers, brush-tailed porcupines and even the incredibly elusive African golden cat. The golden cat was captured at the end of the project, near Mondika. It was a rare sighting of the species looking directly at the camera – a photograph that is likely among the first of its kind from this part of the Congo.
Of the various locations I visited across the Congo during my project, the Goualougo Triangle holds particular importance due to its untouched forest and ongoing studies of great ape behaviour. Since 1999, the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project has been at the forefront of research into the intricate social structures, tool-use and ecological interactions of chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas in this region.
One of the most remarkable behaviours observed in Goualougo is the chimpanzees’ sophisticated use of tools to ‘fish’ for termites, a practice first brought to global attention by Jane Goodall in Tanzania. The chimps carefully strip leaves and twigs to craft smooth, slender probes specifically for this purpose. Interestingly, their technique differs slightly from that of other chimp populations in Africa, providing a compelling example of animal culture and learned behaviours passed down through generations.
- Who was Jane Goodall? We explore the life of the groundbreaking conservationist and how she changed the world
- Chimp video shows one of the most complex tool-use behaviours by wild animals ever documented
Elsewhere, I had mostly been seeking to use my camera-traps to document the diversity of wildlife, but in Guolougo I dedicated them to photographing the chimpanzees. Working with researchers, I was led to termite mounds that were regularly visited by chimps and set up camera-traps in an effort to document their feeding behaviour. On my first visit, I placed the cameras at a respectful distance. On my second, knowing that the chimps were entirely unbothered by the equipment, I moved them closer in the hope of gaining more intimate images.
One camera captured a mother and her older offspring returning to feed at the mound. She then gave birth again and, before long, I was seeing images of her fishing for termites with a tiny infant in tow. One of my favourite pictures shows the baby watching intently as the mother feeds, an intimate moment that captures not just a feeding behaviour but the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next.
While my camera-traps were quietly at work, I was fortunate to spend time photographing some of Nouabalé-Ndoki’s most iconic inhabitants by hand: western lowland gorillas. Being in the presence of wild gorillas remains one of the greatest privileges I’ve experienced. Watching the youngsters playfully show off, witnessing the mothers’ tender care for their infants and feeling the commanding presence of the silverback as he watched over his family – all were moments filled with wonder.
Nouabalé-Ndoki itself is a model of conservation success, managed by WCS in collaboration with the Congolese government. Established in 1993, the park covers more than 4,000km2 of untouched rainforest. While the area remains unlogged, industrial activity and infrastructure development nearby, including logging roads, have increased pressures on the surrounding landscape. Poaching, particularly for ivory, remains a threat, and communities on the periphery of the park often depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, the park is open to tourism, albeit in a limited and controlled way. Visitors can book in advance to experience the forest and its wildlife, and they’re often guided by the very Bayaka trackers who helped me.
The Bayaka trackers have lived in and around these forests for generations. Their ability to read the forest, from the distant crack of a branch to near-imperceptible disturbances in the leaf litter, is astonishing. On numerous occasions, they sensed the presence of elephants or gorillas long before I did, detouring us quietly and calmly around potentially dangerous encounters. Their deep connection to the forest shows that the Congo is not only a refuge for wildlife but also home to communities whose knowledge has evolved over centuries.
Celebrating the rainforest
My hope is that the images from this project serve not only to document the natural history of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park but also as a catalyst for awareness and protection. Camera-trapping provides a way to witness what would otherwise remain invisible. These images, taken without disturbing the animals, offer a glimpse into a hidden world and help connect people to a place most will never visit. They are a celebration of the rainforest’s richness but also a reminder of what is at stake.
Among all the varied and striking images we captured, one in particular made my heart race: a photograph of an impressive male leopard. Caught on one of the very first set-ups on a narrow forest trail near Mbeli Bai, he paused mid-stride, staring calmly into the lens – a regal presence and master of his secluded realm. For many of the researchers and trackers who had spent decades in these forests without ever laying eyes on a leopard, it was an image that inspired awe.
Projects such as this rely on collaboration. I’m indebted to the WCS Congo team, the researchers, the Bayaka trackers and all those supporting me in the field. Their dedication to protecting this wilderness and their generous assistance made these pictures possible.
The Congo rainforest remains one of the planet’s last great wildernesses. It is full of mystery, challenge and beauty. And while I feel this project uncovered many special moments, I also left with the sense that we’d only just scratched the surface. The forest still holds many secrets.
Discover more amazing wildlife stories from around the world
- "Truly astounding": rivers in Alaska are turning orange. Some are so bright they're visible from space
- In 2020, humans suddenly vanished from a popular bay in Hawai‘i. What happened next was remarkable
- Scientists can’t agree on why the tropics are so diverse – but a flooded forest in Brazil (and some piranhas) may solve the mystery
- In the 1970s, scientists noticed that trees in a US mountain range were migrating. Now they know why
Top image: the majesty of a large male leopard is perfectly conveyed via the camera-trap. Credit: Will Burrard-Lucas
