Natural World

In a part of Africa more often in the news for human suffering and civil war, the Central African state of Gabon is a surprise - a stable democracy devoting itself to protecting wildlife. Over ten percent of the country's rainforest is protected in a series of new national parks that are home to abundant wildlife including elephants, gorillas, chimps and giant troupes of mandrills. Along the unspoilt coastline forest comes right down to the beach and hippos can be seen wallowing in the surf. It's an uplifting story of sensitive development, and a reminder of primeval Africa as it would have appeared to the first explorers.