Ecologist J. Michael "Mike" Fay stepped into the forests of the Republic of the Congo on September 20, 1999, with little more than a backpack, scientific equipment, and an unrealistic plan. Fay wanted to cross Central Africa on foot instead of relying on helicopters or vehicles, and followed a nearly straight path through dense rainforest, flooded swamps and remote savannas until he reached the Atlantic coast of Gabon. By the time he finished 15 months later, he had walked roughly 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers), while recording everything he encountered along the way, from forest elephants and western lowland gorillas to logging camps, poaching activity and vast stretches of intact rainforest that few scientists had ever surveyed on the ground. According to National Geographic , the expedition was known as the MegaTransect and became one of the most comprehensive field surveys ever undertaken in the Congo Basin, providing an unprecedented picture of the region's wildlife and ecosystems.
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