Study Site & Schedule
Mbeli Bai is a natural swampy forest clearing of approximately 15 hectares, located in the southwest of the Noubablé-Ndoki National Park in northern Congo. The bai is a preferred feeding site for many groups of western gorillas, and offers a unique opportunity to focus on the feeding behaviour and social structure of individual groups, as well as interactions between groups. An 8m high platform (mirador) allows observers to enjoy 100% visibility of all gorillas using the bai. Gorillas are completely habituated to the presence of observers on the platform, which enables far greater levels of observation than would be possible using more traditional methods such as tracking through the forest.