Gabon offers hope for the survival of the leopard, whose range has dramatically declined across the continent as a result of poaching and habitat loss. In particular, Ivindo National Park is home to one of the highest leopard densities. Yet poaching and the illegal trade in leopard parts continue, as demonstrated by a recent operation conducted by the Woleu-Ntem Provincial Directorate of Water and Forests and the Judicial Police, with support from the NGO Conservation Justice.
Away from public scrutiny and in violation of Gabonese legislation protecting fully protected wildlife species, three individuals were arrested for wildlife trafficking. The three suspects were found in possession of three leopard skins and several leopard teeth, which they were apparently preparing to sell illegally.
Following the arrests, questioning of the three suspects led, on the same day, to the arrest of two other accomplices. Residents of the villages of Essong 4 and Ebomane, the two new suspects were arrested for the illegal killing of fully protected species and the illegal exploitation of leopard carcasses and trophies.
The operation resulted in the arrest of five individuals and the seizure of three leopard skins, several leopard teeth, a Simplex-type 12-gauge firearm and ammunition.
Following the seizure, the five suspects were arrested, taken to the Judicial Police premises in Oyem and placed in custody pending further legal proceedings.
On September 18, 2026, the Public Prosecutor at the Oyem Court of First Instance ordered the pre-trial detention of four of the suspects and cleared one individual of the charges.
On Thursday, September 24, 2026, the four offenders were sentenced to two months in prison, with one month suspended. The Oyem Court also fined each of them CFA francs 100,000 and ordered them to pay CFA francs 1 million in damages to the forestry administration.
The hunting, capture, possession, transportation and sale of fully protected species are prohibited and punishable under Article 92 of Gabon’s Forestry Code. Under Article 275 of the forestry legislation, offenders face between three and six months in prison and a fine ranging from CFA francs 100,000 to 10 million, or one of these two penalties alone, depending on the circumstances.
The sentences handed down therefore appear relatively light compared with the penalties provided for under the law. Whether they will be sufficiently deterrent to help protect Gabon’s leopards remains to be seen. Their importance, however, deserves to be recalled.
The leopard is a powerful predator, often respected and feared, even though attacks on humans are extremely rare. In Gabon, it is considered sacred by several ethnic groups. This is the case among the Mitsogo and Pové communities, through the Nzergho, or Leopard, secret society.
More broadly, all of Gabon’s ethnic groups hold the leopard in high regard. Leopard skin is also one of the most powerful symbols associated with the Bwiti initiation rite, particularly during traditional dances. This cultural significance, however, does not exempt anyone from complying with the law.
Although its skin and teeth have traditionally been used, it is often said that killing a leopard brings evil spirits upon the hunters and the village involved in the killing. Traditionally, a ceremony was therefore supposed to be held to drive these spirits away.
This is what Gabonese ethnographer and author André Raponda-Walker described after witnessing one of these ceremonies, which lasted three days near Fougamou.
Perhaps it is also because of the respect it commands that the leopard was chosen as the symbol of Gabon’s national football team.
From northern to southern Gabon, the leopard is an animal that leaves a deep impression and deserves to be protected on several fronts. Today, the survival of this feline depends on the place that modern and traditional society is willing to give it.
Strict enforcement of the law by the authorities, law-enforcement agencies and the Water and Forests administration could strengthen the species’ chances of long-term survival.
Fanta MABO
