'Every time I'm in the forest, I'm like a little kid': Photographer Thomas Nicolon • FRANCE 24

Key Concepts

• Congo Basin: The world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, spanning nearly 4 million square kilometers across six countries.
• Bais: Natural forest clearings that serve as social and feeding hubs for wildlife.
• Forest Elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis): A distinct, critically endangered species of elephant smaller than the savanna elephant, known for being skittish and defensive.
• Grauer’s Gorillas (Eastern Lowland Gorillas): A species inhabiting the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), currently threatened by regional conflict and violence.
• Kingdom of Kongo: A historical African kingdom (founded c. 14th century) that spanned from modern-day Angola to Gabon; the book title uses the "K" spelling to honor this pre-colonial history.

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1. The Congo Basin: Geography and Biodiversity

The Congo Basin is a massive ecological region larger than India and France combined. It is a biodiversity hotspot, home to:

• 400 mammal species
• 1,000 bird species
• 700 fish species
• 10,000 tropical plant species

Tom O’Neill highlights the "bais"—natural clearings within the dense forest—as critical sites for wildlife observation. Zanga Bai in the Central African Republic is identified as the largest, hosting between 30 to 100 forest elephants at any given time.

2. Wildlife Encounters and Conservation Challenges

O’Neill discusses the inherent dangers and complexities of documenting wildlife in the region:

• Forest Elephant Behavior: Unlike savanna elephants, forest elephants have poor eyesight due to thick vegetation. They are highly defensive and prone to charging when they detect a threat. O’Neill recounts a harrowing 20-minute charge by a young male, noting that such behavior is rare and unpredictable.
• Conservation in Conflict Zones: Documenting species like the Grauer’s gorilla is complicated by the 30-year history of war and armed conflict in the Eastern DRC. Protecting these animals requires navigating volatile political and security landscapes.

3. Photography Methodology

O’Neill describes the rigorous process of professional wildlife photography:

• The Culling Process: The most difficult aspect of the job is selecting a handful of images from thousands. O’Neill notes that for a two-year project, he might capture 60,000 images, with only 12 to 15 making it into a final magazine feature.
• The "Perfect Shot": O’Neill defines a successful image as one that transports the viewer to the location and conveys the raw emotion of the experience.
• Fieldwork: He emphasizes the importance of collaborating with local experts, such as Congolese biologists, to gain access and insight into the forest’s ecosystem.

4. Cultural and Historical Context

The book title, Kongo, is a deliberate choice to pay tribute to the Kingdom of Kongo. O’Neill argues that the current national borders in the region are largely products of European colonization and do not reflect the reality of the people living there. He observes that families and cultures often span across these artificial borders (e.g., between Congo and Cameroon), and his work aims to highlight the deep, shared history of the region that predates modern political divisions.

5. Notable Quotes

• "I’m just so fortunate that I was able to build a career out of my childhood dreams." — Tom O’Neill, on his transition from a background role at France 24 to a National Geographic explorer and photographer.
• "The borders don’t really exist... it’s the same families, it’s the same people." — O’Neill, on the disconnect between colonial-era borders and the indigenous reality of the Congo Basin.

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Synthesis

Tom O’Neill’s work serves as both a visual archive and a cultural tribute to the Congo Basin. By documenting the intersection of rare wildlife, such as forest elephants and gorillas, with the human experience of those living in the region, he challenges the viewer to look beyond the headlines of war and conflict. The core takeaway is that the Congo is a unified, historically rich landscape that requires both scientific attention for its endangered species and a deeper appreciation for its pre-colonial cultural identity.