Dzanga Bai, a mineral-rich clearing in Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic, draws forest elephants out of dense rainforest in numbers unmatched anywhere else — routinely 40 to 50 at a time, with a peak count of 211 recorded last December. Researchers from Cornell's Elephant Listening Project have used the site since 2021 to study a species otherwise almost impossible to observe directly.
The clearing's soil and water are rich in salt, magnesium and zinc, scarce elsewhere in the forest, which is the primary draw, though researchers also describe elephants engaging in greeting ceremonies and using the shallow water as a safe space for calves. Other species, including bongos and red forest buffalo, also frequent the bai.
Tourism has grown modestly, with about 800 visitors in 2025, though the Central African Republic's frequent listing as a 'Do Not Travel' country and the days-long journey from Bangui keep numbers low. Park officials say visitor caps are intentional, keeping the model low-impact by design rather than by necessity alone.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.