Okomu National Park

Okomu is a block of lowland rainforest of around two hundred square kilometres west of Benin City, isolated by the oil palm and rubber plantations that surround it, and it survives as one of the last patches of high forest in this part of Nigeria. Forest elephants live here in small numbers, along with the white-throated guenon, an endangered monkey restricted to southwestern Nigeria, red river hog, buffalo and a strong bird list. Trails run from the park entrance to lookout points, including a treehouse platform built high in a tree that gives a view over the canopy. Encroachment and logging pressure on the boundaries are constant and openly discussed by park staff.

History

The park is a remnant of the lowland forest that once ran in a belt 50 to 100 kilometres wide from the Niger River west to Benin, and the pressure on it is old: a layer of charcoal and pottery beneath the forest shows it was cleared and grew back within the last 700 years. A 200-square-kilometre wildlife sanctuary was set aside from the Okomu Forest Reserve in 1935. After a 1982 survey urged its protection, the state defined it in 1986 at just 66 square kilometres; the Nigerian Conservation Foundation took it over in 1987 and enlarged it to 114 with a buffer zone, and in May 1999 the National Park Service took charge. Villages and plantations have kept pressing in, and it is the smallest of Nigeria's national parks (Wikipedia, Okomu National Park).

Highlights

• The canopy treehouse - the platform giving a view over the forest.
• White-throated guenon - the endangered monkey of southwest Nigeria.
• Forest elephants - the small population, rarely encountered.
• Lowland rainforest - the closed canopy and buttressed trees.

When to go

November to March in the dry season for passable tracks and easier walking. Early morning is best for primates and birds. The rains make the park roads difficult.

Before you go

Elephant sightings are very unlikely. The park is small and hemmed in by plantations, with visible encroachment at the edges. Facilities are basic with limited accommodation. Guides are required and arranged at the gate.

Nearby

Benin City lies east; the Edo plantations surround the park.

Key facts