Cross River National Park
Summary
- 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 |
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 |
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 |
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