The biggest threats facing Dzanga-Sangha are:

Poaching and wildlife trafficking – particularly targeting forest elephants for ivory, alongside hunting and snaring of other wildlife for bushmeat.
Habitat loss and degradation – logging, mining and expanding human activity place increasing pressure on the wider Congo Basin forest surrounding the protected area.
Political instability and insecurity – instability in the Central African Republic can make conservation operations, law enforcement and tourism more difficult.
Human–wildlife conflict – particularly around elephants entering farms and damaging crops, which can undermine local support for conservation.
Climate change – changing rainfall, temperatures and forest ecology present a growing long-term threat to this highly biodiverse rainforest ecosystem.

Addressing these challenges will help secure one of the Congo Basin’s most important rainforest ecosystems for the long term. Stronger wildlife protection and reduced habitat loss will give forest elephants, western lowland gorillas and countless other species space to thrive, while reducing human–wildlife conflict can strengthen local support for conservation. Crucially, a healthy and secure Dzanga-Sangha also protects local livelihoods, Indigenous Ba’Aka culture and knowledge, and the forest’s vital role in storing carbon and regulating the wider environment.