Waka National Park is a protected area in central Gabon that safeguards over 1,000 square kilometres of rainforest and savanna within the Chaillu Massif.
The park preserves an ancient landscape, with sections of forest dating back 40,000 years. One of its most distinctive geological features is the Ikobe-Ikoi-Onoi rift, a deep incision carved into the terrain that shapes the character of the region. Gabon has committed roughly 11 per cent of its territory to national parks, and Waka forms part of that network, protecting central African biodiversity in an area where rainforest meets savanna — a transitional zone that supports a particularly rich array of species. The Chaillu Massif itself is a belt of higher ground running through the country’s interior, and Waka’s position there gives it both ecological significance and a rugged topography that has helped shield its forests from large-scale disturbance.
