Inside Odzala-Kokoua: One of Africa's Most Significant Butterfly Hotspots

Following a recent visit to Odzala-Kokoua National Park, André Coetzer, Conservation Technology Manager, examines an often-overlooked indicator of the park's biodiversity: its nearly 700 butterfly species.

The conservation narrative is so often dominated by larger mammals, but between the gorillas and forest elephants lies a world of creatures that are frequently overlooked. In the African Parks portfolio, Odzala-Kokoua National Park in Republic of Congo is undoubtedly the mecca of butterfly diversity and abundance. With nearly 700 different species recorded, this single park conserves almost 15% of the butterfly species found on the African continent. 

But how do you conserve butterflies? Unlike the conservation of large mammals, which requires anti-poaching efforts, translocations, and the mitigation of human–wildlife conflict, butterflies need just one thing: habitat. The only way to conserve them is to provide a healthy, thriving landscape in which they can flourish. Odzala-Kokoua does exactly this. With over 1.3 million hectares of rainforest and tropical savannah, it is no surprise the park abounds with flitting beauties.

The park is home to foresters, fairy hairstreaks, nymphs, monarchs, and flashes, to name but a few. The slow-flying ghosts and spirit butterflies decorate the forest edges, while a variety of orange and blue emperors patrol the skies. 

The park also prides itself on being home to Africa's largest butterfly, the African Giant Swallowtail, as well as its close relative, the Giant Blue Swallowtail. Visitors might arrive hoping for a real leopard sighting, but few realise that the bright orange butterflies that swarm around mud, jetties, and buildings are known as Forest Leopard butterflies. For as long as the sun shines, there will be butterflies in Odzala!

There is real truth in that. Butterflies are creatures of the sun in the most literal sense. Unlike mammals, they cannot generate their own warmth, and their wings will not carry them until the sun has heated their bodies enough to fly. This is why they bask with wings outstretched along the forest edges, tilting towards the light like tiny solar panels, soaking up the heat they need before taking to the air. The sun also opens the flowers, draws out the nectar, and warms the very air through which they drift. In a park like Odzala-Kokoua, where light spills generously over rainforest and savannah alike, it is little wonder the butterflies are so abundant.

Odzala-Kokoua National Park shows that conserving butterflies is ultimately about safeguarding the landscapes they depend on. When habitats remain healthy and connected, species are able to survive and thrive naturally. In this way, the park stands as an important example of how effective conservation supports not only the most visible wildlife, but also the smaller species that are essential to the richness and resilience of an ecosystem.