Sapo National Park: Pygmy Hippos & West Africa's Last Rainforest
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Sapo National Park: Pygmy Hippos & West Africa's Last Rainforest

A 4-hour drive from Monrovia, Sapo is Liberia's only national park — protecting West Africa's second-largest rainforest and one of the last wild populations of the elusive pygmy hippopotamus

  1. 1

    Sapo Park Research Station

    The Wildlife Conservation Society's research base in Jalay Town is the gateway to the park — guides and trackers trained by WCS's leading forest expeditions

  2. 2

    Pygmy Hippopotamus Tracking

    The pygmy hippo — a nocturnal, forest-dwelling cousin of the common hippo — is Liberia's most celebrated endemic animal; camera traps document their presence in the park streams

  3. 3

    Chimpanzee Habituation Forest

    Sapo protects one of West Africa's largest chimpanzee populations — habituated groups in the old forest allow close observation of these forest-dwelling primates

  4. 4

    Ancient Rainforest Giants

    The ancient forest of Sapo contains trees over 500 years old — the forest floor is a cathedral of tangled roots, vines and streams shaded by a 50-meter canopy

  5. 5

    Sinoe River Kayak

    The Sinoe River that flows through the park offers kayaking through primary rainforest — forest elephants, monkeys and extraordinary bird life along the riverbanks

  6. 6

    Community Forest Villages

    Grebo communities living around the park participate in conservation — village guides explain traditional forest knowledge and the balance between subsistence and protection

#wildlife#nature#conservation