The forest special reserve was established in 1990, along with its neighbouring Dzanga Ndoki National Park. Until 1986, anybody was free to shoot game in the forest.[1] The tropical forests of the region have long been threatened by human activities, with international companies and illegal local loggers cutting down trees and mining natural resources.[2] Also, local indigenous peoples are dependent on the forest, clearing land for agriculture, and for basic necessities.

In 1999, the forest special reserve was administered collaboratively by the Central African Ministry of Environment, Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing, and the World Wildlife Fund.[3] In the same year, the so-called Yaoundé Declaration was signed, forming a tri-national park agreement of cooperation with the Dzanga-Sangha Forest Reserve, Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, and the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo.[4] This tri-park area is operated by the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), and is overseen and funded by international wildlife groups such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the German Cooperation of Technical Collaboration (GTZ), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).[5] Along with these other protected areas, it is a candidate for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[6]