The Dja River is a stream in west-central Africa. It forms part of Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

–Republic of Congo border and has a course of roughly 450 miles (720 km).

Rising southeast of the southeastern Cameroon town of Abong-Mbang

Abong-Mbang

Abong-Mbang is a town and commune in the East Province of Cameroon. Abong-Mbang is located at a crossroads of National Route 10 and the road that leads south to Lomié. Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, is 311 km to the west, and Bertoua, the capital of the East Province, lies 27 km to...

, the Dja Faunal Reserve

Dja Faunal Reserve

Dja Faunal Reserve, located in Cameroon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987. Causes of inscription include diversity of species present in the park, the presence of five threatened species, and lack of disturbance within the park. The boundary that secludes the reserve is the Dja...

, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, lies along the banks of its upper course. It protects one of the largest tracts of tropical rainforest in Africa. Forming its natural boundary, and almost completely encircling the reserve (except to the south-west), cliffs run along the course of the river in the south part of the reserve for 60 km and are associated with a section of the river which is broken by rapids and waterfalls.
Following its course in the reserve, the Dja flows approximately southeast past Moloundou, below which small boats can navigate. At Ouesso

Ouésso

Ouesso is a town in the northern Republic of the Congo, lying on the Sangha River and surrounded by rainforest. It is linked by ferry with Brazzaville and is known for the pygmy people who live nearby...

, in the Republic of Congo, it empties into the Sangha River

Sangha River

The Sangha River, a river in central Africa, is a tributary of the Congo River, which it joins at . Formed by the merging of the Mambéré River into the Kadéï River at Nola , the Sangha flows through the Central African Republic, along the border of Cameroon, and through the Republic of Congo.Its...

.

Every year, poachers travel up the Dja for central Nki National Park

Nki National Park

Nki National Park is a national park in southeastern Cameroon, located in its East Province. The closest towns to Nki are Yokadouma, Moloundou and Lomie, beyond which are rural lands...

, where elephant ivory is abundant.
Strong currents on the river are a deterrent for half the year, but after that, according to freelance journalist Jemini Pandya, the fauna is easy to prey upon.