They had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park when they were kidnapped.

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The breathless heat at Waza makes that of Douala and the coast seem like a sweet wish.

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It is a five-hour drive over difficult roads from Rhumsiki to Waza, but the journey never lacks interest.

BBC: Before the storm in Cameroon

They had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park when they were attacked by men on motorcycles, Cameroonian officials said.

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The family had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park when they were attacked by men on motorcycles, Cameroonian officials said.

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Travellers who want to visit the most ethical zoos can check to see if a particular animal park is a member of the Switzerland-based World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

BBC: The dual sides of animal captivity

The family was on tour at the Waza National Park in Cameroon's Far-North Region before they were abducted at gunpoint by five gunmen aboard motorbikes, according to paramilitary sources in the area.

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They had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park - which is described as a beautiful landscape, trodden by giraffes, elephants and antelopes - where they had spent the previous night.

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