CM019
Korup National Park


Site description (2001 baseline):

Site location and context
Korup National Park is located north-west of Mount Cameroon (CM027) on the international frontier with south-east Nigeria (and is thus contiguous with Cross River National Park—Okwangwo Division (NG010). Although the altitude ranges from just above sea-level to over 1,000 m, the terrain is generally flat, with hills and escarpments found only in the northern section of the park; the highest peak (Mount Ekundukundu) is located in the centre of the park. The vegetation is unbroken coastal evergreen rainforest with abundant Caesalpinaceae and Sacoglottis gabonensis. The forests of Korup are floristically diverse. Annual average rainfall is approximately 5,460 mm.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The avifauna is relatively well known, with some 320 species recorded in and on the margins of the National Park, including a large number of species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome.

Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals of global conservation concern include Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN), Cercopithecus preussi (EN), Pan troglodytes (EN) and Loxodonta africana (EN). Of special importance is the occurrence of Procolobus (badius) preussi (EN).



Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Established as a forest reserve in 1962, the area was upgraded to a National Park in 1986. For many years a number of international organizations and institutions have been working in collaboration with the Government of Cameroon to improve the management of the Korup National Park. Despite all efforts, poaching, agricultural encroachment (from industrial plantations and from villages situated inside the park) and logging still pose serious threats.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Korup National Park (Cameroon). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/korup-national-park-iba-cameroon on 23/12/2024.