Cross River National Park

Cross River National Park
Kwa Falls, Cross River National Park
Map showing the location of Cross River National Park
Map showing the location of Cross River National Park
LocationCross River State,  Nigeria
Coordinates5°34′50″N 8°44′54″E / 5.580451°N 8.748379°E / 5.580451; 8.748379
Area4,000 km2
Established1991

The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most of which consists of primary moist tropical rainforests in the North and Central parts, with mangrove swamps on the coastal zones. Parts of the park belong to the Guinea-Congolian region, with a closed canopy and scattered emergent trees reaching[1] 40 or 50 meters in height.[2]

Cross River National Park borders Korup National Park in Cameroon and is the largest rain forest area in Nigeria. It is also a hotspot for biodiversity.[3] The park has one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, and has been identified as a biodiversity hot spot.[2] Sixteen primate species[4] have been recorded in the park.[5] Rare primates include common chimpanzees, drills and (in Okwangwo) Cross River gorillas.[6][7] Another primate, the gray-cheeked mangabey, seems to have recently[when?] become extinct in the area.[5]

Both divisions of the park are threatened by illegal logging, slash and burn farming and poaching.[6][7] Eco-tourism may support efforts to preserve the park fauna.[8] Assisting villagers in buffer zones to practice sustainable forestry also holds promise.[9]

The Okwangwo Division and the Oban Division are the two non-contiguous divisions of the Central Riverine National Park (CRNP), one of eight national parks in Nigeria. The Nigerian National Park Service (NNPS), which reports to the Federal Ministry of the Environment and is headed by a Conservator General, is in charge of the CRNP. A Conservator of Parks oversees every National Park in Nigeria.[3]

The Guinean Forests of West Africa include the CRNP. With two distinct seasons—a dry season (November to March) and a rainy season (March to November), its vegetation is made mostly of moist lowland rainforest. The daily average temperature ranges from 14 °C to 25 °C, while the annual rainfall falls between 2000 and 3000 mm.[3] Many endemic and severely endangered species, like the Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli, which inhabits the Okwangwo Division, may be found in the CRNP, a Pleistocene biodiversity refuge. The national park is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and is included in the UN's list of the 25 Biodiversity Hotspots in the World.[3]

  1. ^ https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-primates-2060305#:~:text=A%20primate%20is%20any%20mammal,mammals%2C%20after%20rodents%20and%20bats. [bare URL]
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NNPS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Fitz, J., Adenle, A. A., & Speranza, C. I. (2022). Increasing signs of forest fragmentation in the Cross River National Park in Nigeria: Underlying drivers and need for sustainable responses. Ecological indicators, 139, 108943.
  4. ^ primate species
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Terborgh2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BirdlifeOban was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BirdlifeOkwangwo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jollof was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lutz1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).