Lake Tele is located in the central part of Likouala Swamps – 140 thousand square kilometres large swamp which is larger than Greece or Bulgaria. This is the least explored swamp in the world and scientists are convinced that here will be discovered numerous new species. It is possible that here live large animals which are unknown to science.
It is very hard to access the lake because no sizeable river flows in it or from it, there are no roads either. If there is no seaplane available, one should walk through the swamp for tens of kilometres towards the lake.
This walk is almost impossible feat. Depth of swamp sometimes exceeds several metres and walking (or swimming) is made more complicated by dense vegetation. People here are constantly attacked by fierce bees, other venom spitting insects, leeches and countless other vermins – many are unknown to science. Area is known for its numerous diseases, including such feared infectious diseases as Ebola virus and lesser known maladies. Extremely hostile climatic conditions make unusable almost any kind of equipment in a few days’ time.
Thanks to swamp this forest remains intact up to this day. Around the lake live some 125,000 gorillas: the highest density of gorillas ever reported. Here live many chimpanzees, elephants, in the lake live four species of crocodiles, many species of fish, crabs, shrimps, molluscs.