Conservation tourism; a model for the future
The ultimate goal of Operation Loango is to preserve the wildlife and wild lands of the Loango National Park. In order to achieve this end, a number of research and conservation measures are being implemented in and around the park in collaboration with local wildlife protection authorities and several international NGO conservation organizations, chief among them; the Wildlife Conservation Society. These activities range from systematic terrestrial and aerial monitoring of wildlife populations and human resource extraction activities, to conservation education efforts in local schools, to research projects which target a specific wildlife species such as whales or turtles or primates, to providing training and support for the wildlife protection authorities of Gabon.
Given the Operation Loango’s dedication to conservation, every effort is made to expose lodge guests to the activities, which are being carried out in and around the reserve to better understand and protect the animals and their environment. For instance, guests are frequently taken along on whale scouting excursions during which WCS staff utilizes a specially adapted crossbow to painlessly remove a skin sample from humpback whales off the coast. Our marine turtle nesting frequency study is also open to visitors and especially keen guests are welcome to stay the night in our Tassi fly camp and assist in turtle tagging and egg collection with our resident team. Likewise, when guests are participating in a safari drive through the park, our guides are simultaneously collecting information about the animals they see; information which is essential to understand how best to conserve them. Furthermore, by exposing our lodge guests to the realities, which are inherently necessary to achieve lasting conservation, Operation Loango hopes to promote an understanding of the dire need for conservation activities to preserve the earth’s fragile resources