Kalamalou National Park

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Kalamalou National Park
Kalamalou National Park (Cameroon)
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Coordinates: 12 ° 8 ′ 0 ″  N , 14 ° 53 ′ 0 ″  E
Location: Extreme North , Cameroon
Next city: Kousséri
Surface: 45 km²
Founding: 1948
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The Kalamalou National Park ( English Kalamaloue National Park , French Parc National de Kalamaloué ) is a national park in Cameroon's northernmost region, Extreme North . It was founded in 1948 and is 45 km² in size. The park is located 70 km from Lake Chad within the Sudan-Sahel zone in the Waza-Logone plain. The closest city is Kousséri .

climate

The hot and dry climate is characterized by a long dry season from October to May and a short rainy season from June to September. Temperatures vary widely; the minimum is 12 ° C in December and the maximum is 52 ° C in May. The annual precipitation is low at 500 mm and 700 mm for the area.

flora

The woody vegetation is dominated by Combretum aculeatum , the desert date ( Balanites aegyptiaca ) and the Seyal acacia ( Acacia seyal ). Dominant trees in the alluvial plains are Morelia senegalensis and Mitragyna inermis . In addition, there are the Anabaum , Piliostigma reticulatum , Ziziphus mauritiana , Bauhinia rufescens , the tamarind tree , Guiera senegalensis , Anogeissus leiocarpa , Combretum glutinosum , Diospyros mespiliformis and Crateva adansonii . The herbaceous vegetation mainly includes Pennisetum purpureum and Imperata cylindrica . Due to the lack of water, large areas in the north of the park are temporarily without vegetation.

fauna

The more southern woodland is inhabited by hippos , duckers , lyre antelopes and bushbucks . In addition come vervet monkey , the patas monkey , the red-fronted gazelle , Kob and African Golden Wolf ago. Drought, poaching and deforestation led to the disappearance of several species such as the waterbuck , the drill and the lyre antelope Damaliscus correctum . In addition, the prolonged stay of increasing numbers of elephants could mean the end of the park's wealth.

Elephants

In the Waza-Logone plain, where the Kalamalou National Park is located, lives one of the largest elephant populations in the greater Sudan or Sahel zone . The expansion of the arable land and logging led to changes in the elephants' migratory behavior due to a lack of consideration for elephant herds. Because they can move freely, the elephants migrate between the Kalamalou and Waza National Parks . For farmers there is a constant risk of elephants destroying their crops, and in the Kalamalou National Park there is an elephant overpopulation in the dry season. Since 1986 the destruction of the woody vegetation by elephants has been a cause for concern for park officials at the Ministry of Tourism. At the time, they estimated that the elephant population in Kalamalou National Park varied between 450 and 500 animals. Waterhole counts in April 1991 showed 384 elephants. With a density of 8.5 elephants per km², the park can be regarded as overpopulated, but this situation only lasts for 6 to 7 months, because at the beginning of the rainy season in May the elephants migrate back to Waza National Park. Even with an elephant density of over 0.5 elephants / km² in dry savannas, the habitat is threatened with destruction. Since 1979/1980 the water of the Logone has been used further upstream for a rice project, so that the annual flooding of the Waza National Park is reduced. The shrinking of the flooded area meant that perennial grasses such as Vetiveria nigritana , which are the main food for elephants during the dry season, have been replaced by annual plants that are not nutritious enough for wildlife and cattle. As a result, the number of elephants migrating from Waza to Kalamalou National Park and the length of their stay there increased. The high density of elephants in Kalamalou National Park is a seasonal phenomenon. The shooting of elephants, as suggested by park officials, should be postponed as long as vegetation and elephants are adequately monitored. The Waza-Logone project is developing a hydrological rehabilitation of the floodplain , which could have short-term effects on the number of elephants migrating out of the Waza National Park. An international ecological infrastructure for elephants is required in this area. Earlier migration corridors to Chad should be restored and enriched, and the existing corridor to Nigeria should be protected against deforestation and reclamation . Attempts are being made to develop a general policy and management plan for the elephant population of northern Cameroon that will promote the long-term value and conservation of the elephant throughout its current grazing area, not just within the parks.

literature

  • Wally and Horst Hagen: The African national parks as habitats for elephants . In: Vitus B. Dröscher (1990): Save the Elephants of Africa (p. 216)

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