It is with great sadness that we are sharing the tragic news that Jana Robeyst died on April 8th 2016, whilst pursuing a promising career dedicated to the study and conservation of wild forest elephants at Mbeli Bai, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Jana was an amazing scientist and a wonderful person who loved the work she was doing. She was living her dream by being out in the African rainforest each day observing her beloved forest elephants and western lowland gorillas in Mbeli bai.

Jana arrived in Congo to work at the Mbeli Bai Study in December 2013 as a volunteer research assistant for a period of one year. She remained an enthusiastic advocate of the site ever since, returning in September 2015 for three months to train new researchers at the bai. Finally she returned for a third time a few weeks ago to once again assist at the site, and share her knowledge of the elephants and gorillas that visit the bai with the new researchers.