After 20 years of local extinction, a lone spotted hyena has been caught on camera trap, stalking through the forests of the Bateke Plateau National Park - site of The Aspinall Foundation's flagship conservation project.

The presence of this large carnivore is a hopeful development in an area that had been stripped of its wildlife due to poaching.  In 2015, a male lion was photographed in the same area, sparking world wide interest at the time.

The Aspinall Foundation has been working with the ANPN, the National Parks Agency and other conservation organisations in the area since 1996.  Since TAF's involvement, the area has seen not only large carnivores, but gorillas, chimps, red river hogs, small cats, antelope and forest elephants returning to the area.

Tony King, Conservation and Reintroduction Coordinator for The Aspinall Foundation said: 'Gorillas, lions, hyenas - the remarkable return of these headline grabbing species is not only an indicator of the success of two decades of hard work, but also inspires us to keep pushing the restoration forward.  The Bateke Plateau has many more surprises to reveal, and together we strive to help it do so.'