News from Cross River State, Nigeria
Construction of the ranger post at Anape, situated right on the very
edge of the Boshi Extension forest area of the Okwangwo Division of Cross
River National Park, has now been completed. With US$ 23,000 received
from Kolmården Zoo in Sweden, the Director of Cross River National
Park, Alhaji S. O. Abdulsalam, has been able to construct a magnificent
4-room building in one of the most remote and inaccessible locations in
the entire country. Undaunted by the challenging conditions, and despite
escalating costs, the park engineer completed the job as specified and
to a high standard. Additional funds to complete the building were provided
by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The building has living quarters and office space for rangers and research
staff and also has toilets, bathroom, kitchen and a cell. A team of more
than 10 park rangers has already been posted to the site. Additional work
is still required, however, and the building is not yet finished. At present
the rangers must draw their water from a nearby stream, so it is planned
to install an overhead water tank supplied by either a gravity-feed system
or a water pump. The building also requires radio communication equipment,
solar panels and simple basic furniture such as beds and chairs.
Renovation of Research Camps
Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe donated the sum of 4,000
Euros to the Wildlife Conservation Society for the renovation of
research camps in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS) and the Mbe
Mountains. Supervised by the AMWS Conservation Coordinator, Ubi Sam, a
variety of construction materials such as timber, cement and roofing sheets
have been purchased in Calabar and transported to the site; these heavy
materials are slowly but surely being carried up the mountain by a steady
stream of porters. Construction work proper will commence as soon as the
rains have finished.
Located high up on the slopes of this mountainous region both research
camps will provide a more secure and comfortable base for gorilla trackers,
whose job it is to monitor the gorillas that survive in these mountains.
The camps are also used by rangers of the Cross River State Forestry Commission
whilst on patrol in the area and by visiting researchers. Surveys of amphibians
and birds have recently been completed.
We can report that no cases of gorilla poaching have been received during
the last 12 months.
Andrew Dunn
Photo: Andrew Dunn
The new Anape ranger post
Andrew Dunn is Project Manager for the WCS biodiversity research program in southeastern Nigeria, having taken up his appointment in March 2004. He has been working on biological survey and conservation projects in Africa since 1989, with a special expertise in large mammal monitoring. On behalf of WWF he acted as conservation adviser to the Gashaka-Gumti National Park in Nigeria from 1995-2000 and as park adviser to Korup National Park in Cameroon in 2000-2003.