There are substantial portions of parkland that are protected in Gabon, a nation in Central Africa on the Atlantic coast. From gorillas and hippos to whales, the legendary Loango National Park's forested coastline environment is home to a variety of animals.
Although it's still unclear exactly what is going on, a group of senior Gabonese military officers have appeared on national television to declare their secession and claim to speak for all of the country's security and defence forces.
They also claim that the recent general election was fraudulent.
They claimed that state institutions had been disbanded, the election results had been annulled, and all borders had been blocked indefinitely.
After the television appearance, loud shooting could be heard in Libreville, the country's capital, according to a Reuters correspondent.
The government could not be reached right away for comment.
The officers announced on television that they had "decided to defend the peace by overthrowing the current regime in the name of the Gabonese people."
More updates to follow soon