Léfini Faunal Reserve, Faunal reserve on Téké Plateau, Republic of the Congo

Léfini Faunal Reserve covers 6,300 km2 on the Téké Plateau, about 140 km from Brazzaville and near Lac Bleu. Its undulating grassy and forested landscape is broken by limestone cliffs and rocky outcrops, with Loudetia simplex grassland, Hymenocardia acida wooded grassland, ponds and lakes in local depressions, and gallery and swamp forest along watercourses.

The reserve was established in 1951 to protect the wildlife and plant life of this central African plateau. This decision marked an early effort to safeguard the region in Africa.

The reserve lies on the Téké Plateau, and several small villages stand along the roads that cross it. The reserve's name comes from the Léfini, the river that runs through this part of the plateau. In 2020 the forestry work in the reserve was entrusted to a private company, Forestneutral.

Reaching the area involves a journey of several hours on country roads that can vary in condition depending on season and weather. Accommodation options exist in the surrounding region, though you should expect basic facilities.

The reserve is an Important Bird Area designated by BirdLife International, and its grasslands are dominated by Loudetia simplex, with Hymenocardia acida forming wooded grassland. De Brazza's monkeys, named after explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, still live here despite past overhunting.