Lake Tele
Encyclopedia
Lake Tele is a freshwater lake
located in the north-east of the Republic of the Congo
. It is located at 1°20′N 17°9′E.
Lake Tele has often been mentioned as the home of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé
(purportedly a large, unidentified reptilian creature), and is also allegedly the spot where pygmies killed and ate one of the creatures in about 1959. The lake is surrounded by swamp forests that have not yet been exhaustively explored.
The book Congo Journey
(1996) by Redmond O'Hanlon
, the British travel writer, describes in some detail his journey through Congo to Lake Tele in search of Mokèlé-mbèmbé, as well as giving a rich description of local fauna, flora and Congolese cultural practices and relations with the indigenous Pygmy peoples.
Surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society
in 2006 and 2007 found more than 100,000 previously unreported gorillas have been living in the swamp forests of Lake Tele Community Reserve and in neighbouring Marantaceae (dryland) forests in the Republic of the Congo.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in the north-east of the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
. It is located at 1°20′N 17°9′E.
Lake Tele has often been mentioned as the home of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé
Mokèlé-mbèmbé
Mokèlé-mbèmbé, meaning "one who stops the flow of rivers" in the Lingala language, is the name given to a large water-dwelling cryptid found in legends and folklore of the Congo River basin. It is sometimes described as a living creature and sometimes as a spirit. It could be considered loosely...
(purportedly a large, unidentified reptilian creature), and is also allegedly the spot where pygmies killed and ate one of the creatures in about 1959. The lake is surrounded by swamp forests that have not yet been exhaustively explored.
The book Congo Journey
Congo Journey
Congo Journey is an autobiographical novel by British author Redmond O'Hanlon, following his trip across Congo-Brazzaville , taking a friend to Lake Tele in search of Mokèlé-mbèmbé, a legendary Congo dinosaur....
(1996) by Redmond O'Hanlon
Redmond O'Hanlon
Redmond O'Hanlon, FRGS, FRSL is a British writer and scholar.-Life:O'Hanlon was born in 1947 in Dorset, England. He was educated at Marlborough College and then Oxford University. After taking his M.Phil. in nineteenth-century English studies in 1971 he was elected senior scholar, and in 1974...
, the British travel writer, describes in some detail his journey through Congo to Lake Tele in search of Mokèlé-mbèmbé, as well as giving a rich description of local fauna, flora and Congolese cultural practices and relations with the indigenous Pygmy peoples.
Surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
in 2006 and 2007 found more than 100,000 previously unreported gorillas have been living in the swamp forests of Lake Tele Community Reserve and in neighbouring Marantaceae (dryland) forests in the Republic of the Congo.