Bijilo Forest Park

Bijilo, also called the Monkey Park, is a small block of coastal woodland and palm scrub right beside the Kololi hotel strip, with a few kilometres of looped trails through it. Green vervet and red colobus monkeys live in it and come close on the paths, and the bird list is long for such a small area. The Atlantic is a short distance beyond the trees on one side.

History

The fenced woodland was gazetted in 1952 and covers 51.3 hectares on the coast just south of the Senegambia area of Kololi, mostly closed-canopy forest with many Borassus aethiopum palms. It opened to the public in 1991 and receives over 23,000 visitors a year, and in 2018 it lost part of its reserve status when a conference centre was built beside it (Wikipedia, Bijilo Forest Park).

What you'll find

• The red colobus - the monkeys the park is best known for.
• The vervets - the troop that comes closest to walkers on the trails.
• The looped trails - a few kilometres of path through the woodland.
• The birding - a long list for a small coastal patch.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. Early morning is best for both birds and monkeys. The rains from June bring the forest up.

Practical notes

Feeding the monkeys is discouraged but happens, and some have become aggressive around bags. The park is small and two hours covers it. Guides at the gate expect a fee.

Nearby

Kololi is beside it, and Serekunda is inland.

Key facts