Difference between revisions of "Cross River National Park"

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<!-- INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING SITE INFORMATION
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   3) To make information comparable across wiki pages, keywords must be taken from the list of permitted words, or added to the list of permitted keywords. This is why we use official lists, e.g., IUCN classification lists, in our tables.
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   1) Table structure cannot be changed
 
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   2) Keyword format should not change, i.e. they are comma separated lists, not bullet points or numbered lists.  
 
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   3) Keywords must be taken from the list of permitted words, or added to the list of permitted keywords. A link to the keyword list page is found adjacent
 
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    to the relevant table or keyword list. This ensures that the same keyword always refers to the same concept, e.g. Everybody uses "Industrial mining",  
 
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    rather than several keywords such as "Industrial mining", "Large-scale mining", and "Mining".  
 
 
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[[West Africa]] > [[Nigeria]] > [[Cross River National Park]]
  
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[[Region]] > [[Country]] > [[Site]]
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= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with one sentence for each section. May include a site map -->
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<div style="float: right">
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= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with a one sentence overview of each of the following sections. can include a site map -->
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{{#display_map: height=200px | width=300px | scrollzoom=off | zoom=5 | layers= OpenStreetMap, OpenTopoMap
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|5.579848, 8.748074~[[Cross River National Park]]~Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees & Cross river gorillas
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* Ape taxa present  
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}}
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* Ape population size
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</div>
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* Ape population trend
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* Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') & Cross river gorillas (''Gorilla gorilla diehli'') are present in Cross River National Park.
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* This site has a total size of XX km².
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* The population sizes are unknown.
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* Key threats to apes are ...
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* The population trends are unknown.
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* Additional information
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* The site has a total size of 3,640 km².
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* Poaching and illegal logging are the primary threats to great apes in the park.
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* Conservation activities have focused on reducing poaching by conducting patrols, removing snares, and providing sustainable alternative livelihoods e.g., snail farming.
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= Site characteristics =
 
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This section includes a paragraph summary of physical and geographic aspects of the site, a brief history of the site and on animals and plants that are known to occur at the site.
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= Site characteristics = <!-- A paragraph summary of physical and geographic aspects of the site, and a table of key information -->
  
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Situated in southeast Nigeria, Cross River National Park (CRNP) was established in 1991. It is divided into two sections: the smaller Okwangwo division (640 sq. km), and the larger Oban division (about 3,000 sq. km) (Dunn et al. 2014, [https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-oban.aspx WCS]). Gorillas are known to occur in two areas of the Okwangwo division; the former Boshi Extension Forest Reserve (established in 1958 to protect gorillas), and the Okwa Hills in the central region of Okwangwo, bordering Cameroon’s Takamanda National Park to the west (Dunn et al. 2014).
 +
Both sections of CRNP are home to several important species including Cross River gorillas and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, forest elephants, drills, Preuss’s guenons, leopards and the grey-necked rockfowl (Dunn et al. 2014, BirdLife International 2020). Over 350 species have been observed in the park, which is one of the most ornithologically diverse sites in Nigeria and is designated as an Important Bird Area. Oban is contiguous with Korup National Park in Cameroon, and it is an important watershed, draining into the Cross river in the northern part, and Calabar, Kwa, and Korup rivers in the south. A total of 1,303 flowering plants, 141 lichens, and 56 moss species have so far been documented in Oban, making it remarkably rich in floral diversity (BirdLife International 2020). The contiguous Oban-Korup forest is also famous for its rich butterfly diversity ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-oban.aspx WCS]).
  
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'''Table 1. Basic site information for Cross River National Park'''
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'''Table 1: Basic site information for XXXX'''
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"
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| Area             <!-- Please include units: km2/ha e.g 200ha   -->
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| Area <!-- Please include units: km2/ha e.g 200ha -->
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|
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|3,640 km²
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Coordinates
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|Coordinates
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|
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|5.579848, 8.748074
 
|-
 
|-
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| Designation     <!-- National Park, Nature Reserve, etc.  -->
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|Designation
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|
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|National Park
 
|-
 
|-
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|Habitat types   <!-- List IUCN Habitat Classification 3.0 categories present (Without number), see link below -->
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|Habitat types <!-- List IUCN Habitat Classification 3.0 categories present (without number), see link below -->
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|
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|Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical//tropical moist montane forest, permanent rivers, subtropical/tropical heavily degraded former forest
 
|}
 
|}
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[http://www.unitar.org/hiroshima/sites/unitar.org.hiroshima/files/Annex%201%20-%20IUCN%20Classification%20Schemes.pdf IUCN habitat categories]   [[Site designations]]
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[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme IUCN habitat categories] [[Site designations]]
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<br>
 
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−
 
 
−
 
 
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= Ape status =  <!-- a text overview of ape status (population sizes, trends etc), followed by a table of specific surveys and results -->
 
  
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= Ape status = <!--An overview of ape population status (population sizes, trends, etc.), followed by a table of specific surveys and results -->
  
 +
The largest and most important area for Cross River gorillas is the transboundary area between the Okwangwo Division of CRNP and Takamanda National Park in Cameroon, which has been estimated to support approximately one-third of the known gorilla population (Dunn et al. 2014).
  
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This section includes a brief summary of the survey history, the most recent abundance estimate, date of the estimate, and, if available, the population trend (if explicitely stated in a report/paper).
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'''Table 2. Ape population estimates in Cross River National Park'''
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'''Table 2: Ape population estimates in XXXX'''
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="population-estimate-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="population-estimate-table"
 
! Species
 
! Species
 
! Year
 
! Year
−
! Abundance estimate (95% confidence interval)
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! Abundance estimate (95% CI)
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! Density estimate (per km²)
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! Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)
 
! Encounter rate (nests/km)
 
! Encounter rate (nests/km)
 
! Area
 
! Area
Line 72: Line 60:
 
! A.P.E.S. database ID
 
! A.P.E.S. database ID
 
|-
 
|-
 +
|''Gorilla gorilla diehli''
 +
|2007
 +
|25-50
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|Okwangwo Division
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|Unknown
 +
|Oates et al. 2007
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
|-
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|''Gorilla gorilla diehli''
 +
|Unknown
 +
|20-25
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
−
|
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|Cross River National Park–Boshi Extension
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|
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|Index survey (reconnaissance walk)
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|WCS as cited by Dunn et al. 2014
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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= Threats =    <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->
 
= Threats =    <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->
  
 +
Nearly 30,000 people from at least 39 villages live along the edge of the Okwangwo Division of CRNP. The large villages of Okwa 1, Okwa 2 and Okwangwo are situated within the park, and the expansion of village farmland outside of their enclave boundaries threatens to fragment the forest and further isolate two gorilla subpopulations. Poaching in the park is still widespread and its montane forests on the edge of the Obudu Plateau are being affected by fire. There is also some agricultural encroachment by cocoa farmers on the edge of the park at Bashu, Obonyi and Mbuli, and illegal farming in the Boshi Forest  (Dunn et al. 2014).
  
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This sections describes threats at the site, particularly those relevant for apes and thereby provides context for the threats listed in the table below.
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'''Table 3. Threats to apes in Cross River National Park'''
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'''Table 3: Threats to apes in XXXX'''
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="threats-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="threats-table"
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!align="left"|Category <!-- Do not change threat categories -->
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!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE THREAT CATEGORIES -->
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!Specific threats   <!-- For specific threats, please use list of comma separated keywords from the list linked below -->
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!Specific threats <!-- For specific threats, please use list of comma separated keywords from the IUCN list linked below -->
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!Threat level       <!-- For threat level, please use keywords: unknown, low, high -->
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!Threat level <!-- For threat level, please use keywords: low, medium, high, present, absent, unknown-->
−
!Quantified severity <!-- e.g., encounter rate, number of miners etc. (with reference)-->
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!Quantified severity <!-- Enter any available quantification of the threat, e.g., the proportion of the area affected by the threat, hunting sign encounter rates-->
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!Description         <!-- You can add descriptive information here -->
+
!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->
−
!Year of threat     <!-- if ongoing or unknown add year of reference in brackets-->
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!Year of threat <!-- Enter specific year(s), “ongoing”, or “unknown”. If the threat is ongoing, please add the year of reference in parentheses -->
 
|-
 
|-
 
|1. Residential & commercial development
 
|1. Residential & commercial development
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|-
 
|-
 
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
 
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
 +
|2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
 +
|Present, but threat severity is unknown
 
|
 
|
−
|
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|Agricultural concessions for oil palm and pineapple were illegally awarded inside the park boundary ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-oban.aspx WCS]). Farmland expansion within the park (Dunn et al. 2014).
−
|
+
|Ongoing (2014)
−
|
 
−
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|3. Energy production & mining
 
|3. Energy production & mining
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|4. Transportation & service corridors
 
|4. Transportation & service corridors
 
|
 
|
 +
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
|-
 +
|5. Biological resource use
 +
|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
 +
|High
 
|
 
|
 +
|Joint patrols between CRNP rangers and WCS staff have destroyed numerous hunting camps and wire snares in the park, but poaching continues. The large numbers of snares in Okwangwo are a significant threat to the gorillas (Dunn et al. 2014).
 +
|Ongoing (2014)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|5. Biological resource use
 
|5. Biological resource use
 +
|5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants
 +
|Present, but threat severity is unknown
 
|
 
|
 +
|Collection of NTFPs such as bush mango is widespread and leads to the seasonal establishment of camps in the park that are also used by poachers (Dunn et al. 2014).
 +
|Ongoing (2014)
 +
|-
 +
|5. Biological resource use
 +
|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
 +
|High
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Illegal logging has been described as a main threat. Timber is often floated out of the park along major rivers (WCS; Adetola & Adetoro 2014).
−
|
+
|Ongoing (2014)
−
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|6. Human intrusions & disturbance
+
|6. Human intrusion & disturbance
−
|
 
 
|
 
|
 +
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|7. Natural system modifications
 
|7. Natural system modifications
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases
 
|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 157: Line 168:
 
|9. Pollution
 
|9. Pollution
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 164: Line 175:
 
|10. Geological Events
 
|10. Geological Events
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Absent
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
|11. Climate change & severe weather
+
| 11. Climate change & severe weather
−
|
 
 
|
 
|
 +
|Unknown
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 178: Line 189:
 
|12. Other options
 
|12. Other options
 
|
 
|
−
|
+
|Absent
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 186: Line 197:
 
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme IUCN Threats list]
 
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme IUCN Threats list]
  
 +
= Conservation activities =      <!-- A summary of the conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities -->
  
−
 
+
'''Table 4. Conservation activities in Cross River National Park'''
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= Conservation activities =      <!-- a text overview of conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities -->
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
This sections describes conservation interventions implemented at the site, including information on which organizations are implementing them and thereby provides context for the conservation activities listed in the table below.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
'''Table 4: Conservation activities in XXXX'''
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"
−
!align="left"|Category <!-- Do not change threat categories -->
+
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
−
!Specific activity   <!-- For specific threats, please use list of comma separated keywords from the list linked below -->
+
!Specific activity <!-- For specific threats, please use list from the list linked below, OR enter “Not reported” -->
−
!Description         <!-- You can add descriptive information here -->
+
!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->
−
!Year of activity         <!-- if ongoing or unknown add year of reference in brackets -->
+
!Year of activity <!-- Add descriptive information -->
 
|-
 
|-
 
|1. Residential & commercial development
 
|1. Residential & commercial development
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
 
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|3. Energy production & mining
 
|3. Energy production & mining
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|4. Transportation & service corridors
 
|4. Transportation & service corridors
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|5. Biological resource use
 
|5. Biological resource use
 +
|5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols
 +
|From 2009 on, monitoring using CyberTracker to record data on wildlife, threats and law enforcement action (Dunn et al. 2014). In 2016, SMART replaced CyberTracker to continue monitoring the park ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-okwangwo.aspx WCS]).
 +
|Ongoing (2016)
 +
|-
 
|
 
|
 +
|5.9. Regularly de-activate/remove ground snares
 +
|Dunn et al. 2014
 +
|Ongoing (2014)
 +
|-
 
|
 
|
 +
|5.11. Provide training to anti-poaching ranger patrols
 +
|WCS supports ranger training ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-okwangwo.aspx WCS]).
 +
|Unknown
 +
|-
 
|
 
|
 +
|5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols
 +
|Patrolling of the park and joint transboundary patrols of the Okwangwo division together with Takamanda National Park rangers  (Dunn et al. 2014)
 +
|Ongoing (2014)
 
|-
 
|-
−
|6. Human intrusions & disturbance
 
 
|
 
|
 +
|5.17. Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms
 +
|WCS has trained 25 hunters from around Okwangwo in bee keeping and the rearing of African giant snails in an attempt to provide them with an alternative source of income ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-okwangwo.aspx WCS]).
 +
|Unknown
 +
|-
 +
|6. Human intrusion & disturbance
 +
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|7. Natural system modifications
 
|7. Natural system modifications
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases
 
|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|9. Pollution
 
|9. Pollution
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|10. Education & Awareness  
 
|10. Education & Awareness  
−
|
+
|10.5. Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions
−
|
+
|Mobile film shows for raising conservation awareness ([https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-okwangwo.aspx]).
−
|
+
|Unknown
 
|-
 
|-
 
|11. Habitat Protection
 
|11. Habitat Protection
−
|
+
|11.2. Legally protect primate habitat
−
|
+
|The site is a national park.
−
|
+
|Ongoing (2023)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|12. Species Management
 
|12. Species Management
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives  
 
|13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives  
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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[[Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)]]
 
[[Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)]]
  
 +
= Challenges = <!-- Overview of challenges in ape conservation -->
  
 +
The expectations of local people were very high when the park was created and many people feel that the park has failed to provide promised development; in consequence, the levels of support for conservation are low, particularly in the enclaves (Dunn et al. 2014).
  
−
= Impediments = <!-- Overview of impediments to ape conservation -->
+
'''Table 5. Challenges reported for Cross River National Park'''
−
 
+
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="challenges-table"
−
 
+
!align="left"|Challenge <!-- Do not change categories -->
−
Description of impediments that may hamper conservation activities.
+
!Source <!-- Source for challenge mentioned -->
−
 
+
|-
−
 
+
|Lack of financial means
−
'''Table 5: Impediments reported for XXXX'''
+
|Adetola & Adetoro 2014
−
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="impediments-table"
+
|-
−
!align="left"|Impediment  <!-- Do not change categories -->
+
|Lack of technical means
−
!Source   <!-- source for impediment mentioned -->
+
|Adetola & Adetoro 2014
 +
|-
 +
|Lack of trust and support from local communities
 +
|Adetola & Adetoro 2014, Dunn et al. 2014
 
|-
 
|-
−
|
+
|Lack of a management plan and committee
−
|
+
|Dunn et al. 2014
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
 
+
= Research activities = <!-- Overview of research activities-->
−
 
 
−
= Research activities = <!-- Overview of research activities -->
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
Short description of past and ongoing research activities at the site.
 
  
  
 
===Documented behaviours===  <!-- List of any behaviours observed at the site, including citations -->
 
===Documented behaviours===  <!-- List of any behaviours observed at the site, including citations -->
  
−
'''Table 6: Ape behaviors reported for XXXX'''
+
'''Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Cross River National Park'''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"
−
!align="left"|Behavior <!-- Do not change categories -->
+
!align="left"|Behavior
−
!Source   <!-- source for behavior -->
+
!Source
 
|-
 
|-
−
|
+
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
 
+
=External links=
−
===Relevant datasets===
+
[https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-oban.aspx WCS Cross River National Park, Oban Division]<br>
−
[http://apesportal.eva.mpg.de/database/archiveMap A.P.E.S Portal]
+
[https://nigeria.wcs.org/wild-places/cross-river-np-okwangwo.aspx WCS Cross River National Park, Okwango Division]<br>
−
 
 
−
<br>
 
−
 
 
  
 
= References =
 
= References =
−
 
+
Adetola, B.O. & Adetoro, A.O. (2014). Threats to biodiversity conservation in Cross River National Park, Nigeria. International Journal of Conservation Science, 5(4), 547-552.<br>
 +
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cross River National Park (Oban Division). Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/11/2020.<br>
 +
Dunn, A., Bergl, R., Byler, D., Eben-Ebai, S., Etiendem, D. N., Fotso, R., ... & Williamson, E. A. (2014). Revised regional action plan for the conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) 2014–2019. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Wildlife Conservation Society.<br>
 +
Oates JF, Sunderland-Groves J, Bergl R, Dunn A, Nicholas A, Takang E, Omeni F, Imong I, Fotso R, Nkembi L & Williamson EA. (2007). Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli). Oates J F, Sunderland-Groves Jacqueline, Bergl Richard, Dunn Andrew, Nicholas Aaron, Takang Ebai, Omeni Fidelis, Imong Inaoyom, Fotso Roger, Nkembi Louis, Williamson Liz (ed.). IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Conservation International. <br>
  
 
<br>
 
<br>
−
'''Page completed by:'''XXXX '''   Date:''' DD/MM/YY  <br>
+
'''Page completed by: '''A.P.E.S. Wiki Team''' Date:''' 28/09/2023 <!-- If you don't want to add your name, you can add "A.P.E.S. Wiki team" -->
−
 
 
−
<i>Please consider whether any information you would like to add is sensitive and could be misused to harm apes. Please do not add such information. If unsure, you can contact the Wiki manager (contact details on start page) for clarification.</i>
 
−
<br><br>
 

Latest revision as of 05:14, 28 September 2023

West Africa > Nigeria > Cross River National Park

Summary

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  • Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) & Cross river gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli) are present in Cross River National Park.
  • The population sizes are unknown.
  • The population trends are unknown.
  • The site has a total size of 3,640 km².
  • Poaching and illegal logging are the primary threats to great apes in the park.
  • Conservation activities have focused on reducing poaching by conducting patrols, removing snares, and providing sustainable alternative livelihoods e.g., snail farming.

Site characteristics

Situated in southeast Nigeria, Cross River National Park (CRNP) was established in 1991. It is divided into two sections: the smaller Okwangwo division (640 sq. km), and the larger Oban division (about 3,000 sq. km) (Dunn et al. 2014, WCS). Gorillas are known to occur in two areas of the Okwangwo division; the former Boshi Extension Forest Reserve (established in 1958 to protect gorillas), and the Okwa Hills in the central region of Okwangwo, bordering Cameroon’s Takamanda National Park to the west (Dunn et al. 2014). Both sections of CRNP are home to several important species including Cross River gorillas and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, forest elephants, drills, Preuss’s guenons, leopards and the grey-necked rockfowl (Dunn et al. 2014, BirdLife International 2020). Over 350 species have been observed in the park, which is one of the most ornithologically diverse sites in Nigeria and is designated as an Important Bird Area. Oban is contiguous with Korup National Park in Cameroon, and it is an important watershed, draining into the Cross river in the northern part, and Calabar, Kwa, and Korup rivers in the south. A total of 1,303 flowering plants, 141 lichens, and 56 moss species have so far been documented in Oban, making it remarkably rich in floral diversity (BirdLife International 2020). The contiguous Oban-Korup forest is also famous for its rich butterfly diversity (WCS).

Table 1. Basic site information for Cross River National Park

Area 3,640 km²
Coordinates 5.579848, 8.748074
Designation National Park
Habitat types Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical//tropical moist montane forest, permanent rivers, subtropical/tropical heavily degraded former forest

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

The largest and most important area for Cross River gorillas is the transboundary area between the Okwangwo Division of CRNP and Takamanda National Park in Cameroon, which has been estimated to support approximately one-third of the known gorilla population (Dunn et al. 2014).

Table 2. Ape population estimates in Cross River National Park

Species Year Abundance estimate (95% CI) Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) Encounter rate (nests/km) Area Method Source Comments A.P.E.S. database ID
Gorilla gorilla diehli 2007 25-50 Okwangwo Division Unknown Oates et al. 2007
Gorilla gorilla diehli Unknown 20-25 Cross River National Park–Boshi Extension Index survey (reconnaissance walk) WCS as cited by Dunn et al. 2014

Threats

Nearly 30,000 people from at least 39 villages live along the edge of the Okwangwo Division of CRNP. The large villages of Okwa 1, Okwa 2 and Okwangwo are situated within the park, and the expansion of village farmland outside of their enclave boundaries threatens to fragment the forest and further isolate two gorilla subpopulations. Poaching in the park is still widespread and its montane forests on the edge of the Obudu Plateau are being affected by fire. There is also some agricultural encroachment by cocoa farmers on the edge of the park at Bashu, Obonyi and Mbuli, and illegal farming in the Boshi Forest (Dunn et al. 2014).

Table 3. Threats to apes in Cross River National Park

Category Specific threats Threat level Quantified severity Description Year of threat
1. Residential & commercial development Unknown
2. Agriculture & aquaculture 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops Present, but threat severity is unknown Agricultural concessions for oil palm and pineapple were illegally awarded inside the park boundary (WCS). Farmland expansion within the park (Dunn et al. 2014). Ongoing (2014)
3. Energy production & mining Unknown
4. Transportation & service corridors Unknown
5. Biological resource use 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals High Joint patrols between CRNP rangers and WCS staff have destroyed numerous hunting camps and wire snares in the park, but poaching continues. The large numbers of snares in Okwangwo are a significant threat to the gorillas (Dunn et al. 2014). Ongoing (2014)
5. Biological resource use 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants Present, but threat severity is unknown Collection of NTFPs such as bush mango is widespread and leads to the seasonal establishment of camps in the park that are also used by poachers (Dunn et al. 2014). Ongoing (2014)
5. Biological resource use 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting High Illegal logging has been described as a main threat. Timber is often floated out of the park along major rivers (WCS; Adetola & Adetoro 2014). Ongoing (2014)
6. Human intrusion & disturbance Unknown
7. Natural system modifications Unknown
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases Unknown
9. Pollution Unknown
10. Geological Events Absent
11. Climate change & severe weather Unknown
12. Other options Absent

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

Table 4. Conservation activities in Cross River National Park

Category Specific activity Description Year of activity
1. Residential & commercial development Not reported
2. Agriculture & aquaculture Not reported
3. Energy production & mining Not reported
4. Transportation & service corridors Not reported
5. Biological resource use 5.15. Implement monitoring surveillance strategies (e.g. SMART) or use monitoring data to improve effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols From 2009 on, monitoring using CyberTracker to record data on wildlife, threats and law enforcement action (Dunn et al. 2014). In 2016, SMART replaced CyberTracker to continue monitoring the park (WCS). Ongoing (2016)
5.9. Regularly de-activate/remove ground snares Dunn et al. 2014 Ongoing (2014)
5.11. Provide training to anti-poaching ranger patrols WCS supports ranger training (WCS). Unknown
5.6. Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols Patrolling of the park and joint transboundary patrols of the Okwangwo division together with Takamanda National Park rangers (Dunn et al. 2014) Ongoing (2014)
5.17. Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms WCS has trained 25 hunters from around Okwangwo in bee keeping and the rearing of African giant snails in an attempt to provide them with an alternative source of income (WCS). Unknown
6. Human intrusion & disturbance Not reported
7. Natural system modifications Not reported
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases Not reported
9. Pollution Not reported
10. Education & Awareness 10.5. Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions Mobile film shows for raising conservation awareness ([1]). Unknown
11. Habitat Protection 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat The site is a national park. Ongoing (2023)
12. Species Management Not reported
13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives Not reported

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

The expectations of local people were very high when the park was created and many people feel that the park has failed to provide promised development; in consequence, the levels of support for conservation are low, particularly in the enclaves (Dunn et al. 2014).

Table 5. Challenges reported for Cross River National Park

Challenge Source
Lack of financial means Adetola & Adetoro 2014
Lack of technical means Adetola & Adetoro 2014
Lack of trust and support from local communities Adetola & Adetoro 2014, Dunn et al. 2014
Lack of a management plan and committee Dunn et al. 2014

Research activities

Documented behaviours

Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Cross River National Park

Behavior Source
Not reported

External links

WCS Cross River National Park, Oban Division
WCS Cross River National Park, Okwango Division

References

Adetola, B.O. & Adetoro, A.O. (2014). Threats to biodiversity conservation in Cross River National Park, Nigeria. International Journal of Conservation Science, 5(4), 547-552.
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cross River National Park (Oban Division). Retrieved from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/11/2020.
Dunn, A., Bergl, R., Byler, D., Eben-Ebai, S., Etiendem, D. N., Fotso, R., ... & Williamson, E. A. (2014). Revised regional action plan for the conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) 2014–2019. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Oates JF, Sunderland-Groves J, Bergl R, Dunn A, Nicholas A, Takang E, Omeni F, Imong I, Fotso R, Nkembi L & Williamson EA. (2007). Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli). Oates J F, Sunderland-Groves Jacqueline, Bergl Richard, Dunn Andrew, Nicholas Aaron, Takang Ebai, Omeni Fidelis, Imong Inaoyom, Fotso Roger, Nkembi Louis, Williamson Liz (ed.). IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Conservation International.


Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 28/09/2023

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