We have sad news to announce you.

Last Thursday, May 15, 2024, Makumba passed away.

He lost his life on the night of May 14 to 15, as a result of a fight with a lonely male. With his advanced age and the numerous interactions that he has had with other males in recent months, we expected this eventuality, but the sudden news of his death has been terrible news for our teams and surely for all those who came to visit him here, within the protected areas of Dzanga-Sangha.

Makumba was over 45 years old and had a long life with his family. The first contacts that our teams had with him were in the year 2000, then he was a young man of about twenty years old. From this day until today, he has been the father of at least 18 children with six different females. Since the opening of its group to visitors, in 2004, more than ten thousand people have come to visit it and have been able to observe it in its natural environment surrounded by their own. Its presence has been a tourist attraction that has valued the protected areas of Dzanga-Sangha and the Republic of Central Africa. Many audiovisual companies have come to film and photograph it, making it an ambassador in terms of awareness about the conservation and discovery of the wild world of Central Africa. Many studies have been published thanks to the data collected by observing Makumba and his group, with the arrival of several scientists and many students from different countries.

A monument has fallen. It’s as if a member of our family just left us… It is important, then, to remember everything that Makumba has contributed to the protected areas of Dzanga-Sangha.

So it is with a heavy heart that we tell him to see him again and with many emotions that we thank him for everything he has contributed to each of us.

May he rest in peace!