Special envoy to Libreville, Mikongo
In the heart of the thick Gabonese tropical forest, in the Lopé National Park, the slaughterer can be seen from afar by his orange helmet and yellow vest.
Armed with an imposing chainsaw, Patrice Lekanga is about to cut an okoumé, the most exploited variety in Gabon.
The Congo Basin is the planet's second lung, home to hundreds of tree species.
He follows in the ambient humidity the narrow path opened by the trackers on the basis of a cartography listing each exploitable tree.
The carefully prepared cutting job takes him about fifteen minutes.
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“It's a technical, difficult move. We must limit the impact on the environment especially near waterways, the fall trajectory is important ”,
comments Jean-Benoît Sicard, director of forestry operations at Rougier.
Present in Gabon since 1953, the French company is one of three operators out of some 90 to have international certification.
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