The Lefini Reserve was created in 1951, covering c. 400,000 ha, and was enlarged to 630,000 hactares in 1963, to include a large area east of the previous limits, stretching to the Congo River. The Lefini and Lesio-Louna Reserves lay 140 km north of Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. The two reserves form part of the Batéké Plateau, an area of rolling savanna and patchy forest extending from southeast Gabon across central Congo and extending into the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This region is well-known amongst ornithologists for the unique diversity of its avifauna, which may be attributed to the diversity of forest and grassland, woodland habitats in the area. The richness of the savanna avifauna of the Batéké Plateau was one of the principle reasons for the classification of the Lesio - Louna and Lefini Reserves of Congo, and the Bombo- Lumene Game Reserve in Democratic Republic of Congo as Important Bird Areas and for the creation of the Batéké Plateau National Park in Gabon.

The Léfini wildlife reserve, an integral reserve since 1984, is close to the PA. Straight ahead use is therefore theoretically prohibited. Since their installation along the Léfini River border in 2002, the eco-guards of Lesio-Louna were therefore able to prohibit human penetration in the south west of the RFL. This same area became an integral area of Lesio Louna during its extension in 2009.

The northern part of the reserve, annexed during the decree of classification of 2009, has the particularity of being largely delimited by watercourses, which constitutes a natural barrier, preventing the gorillas that will be reintroduced there from reaching the neighboring villages and therefore creates damage in the fields bordering the PA. No right of use is authorized in this integral area of the PA, nor even in the portion of the neighboring PA (Lefini) located north of the Léfini, which also serves as a buffer zone for Lesio - Louna.

Since 1995, 28 gorillas have been released and now live freely in the reserve.The absence of wild gorillas in the reserve which had disappeared before the creation of the PA hasfacilitated their reintroduction. Their regular monitoring (twice a week) makes it possible to check that the 96 groups are in good health and to follow the evolution of the population. Follow up patrolscan also distance one group from another when their proximity risks creatingterritorial disputes.

The ecological monitoring carried out by the eco-guards during their surveillance patrol is targeted at theflagship species (Hippopotamus, Buffalo, Sitatunga, etc.). All this data is collected underform of GPS points, analyzed and then compiled in the form of maps.Fire management is mainly done by raising awareness among local populations. Of theEarly firings are also programmed by the managers, so as to createnatural firewalls.

Landscape

The Lefini and Lesio-Louna Reserves range from 300 meters to 750 meters in altitude. The major habitats are open Loudetia grassland and lightly wooded Loudetia or, especially on the remaining plateaus and in damp valley bottoms, Hyparrhenia grassland, with gallery and swamp forests along the water-courses and some patches of dry forest on higher ground.

Climate

The climate of the reserves is similar to that elsewhere on the plateau, with a dry season from late May to September, the heaviest rains in October to November and March to April, with a drier period around January to February.

The avifauna of Lefini

The major habitats are open Loudetia grassland and lightly wooded Loudetia or Hyparrhenia grassland, with gallery and swamp forests along water-courses and patches of dry forest on higher ground. Over 264 Bird species found here and some of those include the intra-African migrant Pygmy Kingfisher Ceyxpictusnatalensis, which occurs sympatrically with a resident subspecies. Fifty-nine species are newly published for the reserves, of which the most notable include White-crested Tiger Heron Tigriornisleucolophus (on nest), Black-breasted Snake Eagle Circaetuspectoralis, African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus, Chestnut flanked Sparro whawk ,Acciptercastanilius, Wahlberg's Eagle Aquila wahlbergi, Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus, Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus, Bronze-winged Courser Rhinoptiluschalcopterus, African Skimmer Rynchopsflavirostris, Horus Swift Apushorus, Black-backed Barbet Lybius minor, Red-throated Cliff Swallow Hirundorufigula, Orange-tufted Sunbird Cinnyrisbouvieri, Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceusxanthops and Zebra Waxbill Amandavasubflava.

The Fish Fauna of the Léfini River

This first study reported 140 fish species belonging to 76 genera, 27 families and 11 orders. The structure of fish communities are distributed following the types of banks (forest or grass) and type's habitat: grassy shaped pond, grassy, high forest canopy cover, forest with average canopy cover, and forest with very low canopy cover. The habitat types were characterized, using the combination of the five most abundant fish species. The Characiformes, Siluriformes, Osteoglossiformes are the most diverse orders. The families Mormyridae, Alestidae and Distichodontidae are the most representative.