Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary lies between the towns of Nguti and Bangem, to the east of the Nguti–Mamfe road. Situated between Korup National Park (CM019) to the west and Santchou (CM018) to the east, Banyang Mbo falls naturally into two sections, a northern block of about 34,000 ha, lying between 200 m and 500 m, where the terrain is generally flat, and a mountainous southern part (which represents a small northern extension of the Bakossi mountains, CM022), where the land rises to over 1,700 m. The vegetation in the northern block is coastal evergreen rainforest while, in the south, it is a mix of mid-altitude and montane forest. The two sectors are separated by a transition zone of inselbergs supporting low-canopy forest. There are also extensive patches of secondary forest where logging has occurred. Average annual rainfall is c.3,000 mm.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The avifauna is rich, with 322 species recorded, and includes
Telophorus kupeensis, recently found to occur, along with many species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome. One species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) also occurs (Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: The population of Loxodonta africana (EN) has been significantly reduced by poaching. Other mammals that remain include Pan troglodytes (EN) and Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary was gazetted in 1996 when the pre-existing Banyang Mbo Council Forest Reserve was extended to include the mountains. The sanctuary was created for the protection of certain mammal species and crocodiles. It is under pressure from logging, hunting and agricultural encroachment—there are a number of villages within the sanctuary boundaries (indeed, this is allowed by law). The populations of some large mammal species have been seriously affected by hunting. A community-based conservation project is working in the region.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary (Cameroon). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/banyang-mbo-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-cameroon on 24/12/2024.
