Bronx, N.Y., October 30, 2025 – WCS and Republic of Gabon have signed a memorandum of understanding that sets in motion Collaborative Management Partnerships for four of the country’s national parks.

On Thursday, October 30, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Gabonese National Parks Agency (ANPN) signed the country’s first ever partnership commitment toward the establishment of management agreements for Ivindo, Loango, Lopé and Mayumba National Parks. The MoU lays out a 2-year roadmap towards new long-term management agreements for these parks between WCS and ANPN. The signing is part of a new national policy to diversify management models, foster innovative solutions for sustainable financing, and facilitate the sharing of technical expertise with conservation partners. 

Said Omer Ntougou Ndoutoume, Executive Secretary of ANPN, “The signing of the ANPN–WCS agreement embodies the new political agenda of the President of the Gabonese Republic: inclusive, diversified management that is resolutely focused on protecting and enhancing the country's natural capital for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Gabon boasts an extraordinary natural heritage - with almost 90% forest cover and more than half the population of Africa’s critically endangered forest elephants. The country has made bold commitments to conserve this natural heritage with over 11% of its terrestrial territory and more than 26% of its territorial oceans and Exclusive Economic Zones protected. 

The WCS has been supporting the government of Gabon in its conservation efforts for almost four decades.  It played a crucial role inthe creation of the country's 13 national parks in 2002, and in the process of creating Gabon’s vast network of Marine Protected Areas in 2017. This new partnership demonstrates the government's continued confidence in WCS, reinforces recognition of its enduring role in the country, and consolidates the government's commitment to the conservation of the country's ecosystems.

Said Gaspard Abitsi, WCS Gabon country director, “Together, we are moving towards a management model that has proven successful in the Congo Basin and will optimize community engagement and the protection of areas of exceptional biodiversity, at the heart of forests that are of global importance for their role in climate regulation. It’s a process we can only commend.”

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About WCS Gabon
For nearly 40 years, WCS has played a major role in the conservation of wildlife and wild places in the Gabonese Republic, where it has contributed to the creation, expansion and management of the country’s network of both 13 national parks and 20 marine protected areas. As the most influential international conservation organization in the country, WCS works closely with the government, national stakeholders and local communities to protect Gabon's rich terrestrial and marine ecosystems.