Bénoué National Park is a protected area in Cameroon and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It covers an area of 1,800 km² (690 sq mi). The park has a long stretch along the Bénoué River, which is more than 100 km (62 mi) long and forms the park's eastern boundary. A main road to Tcholliré passes through the northern part of the park. The western boundary is formed by a main road that connects the towns of Garoua to the north and Ngaoundéré to the south. The park can be reached by traveling north from Ngaoundéré.
History
In 1932, the area was created as a wildlife reserve. In 1968, it became a national park. In 1981, it was designated a biosphere reserve.
Geography
The park is located in northeastern Cameroon in the Bénoué Department. It is found in the Bénoué savanna belt, a type of grassland with trees, between the cities of Garoua in the north and Ngaoundéré in the south. The main river, the Bénoué River, flows for more than 100 km (62 miles) and forms the park's eastern edge. The park's height ranges from 250 to 760 meters (820 to 2,490 feet) above sea level. Higher areas have large rocky hills, and lower areas have rolling plains and forests. Eight hunting areas, covering 5,203.78 square kilometers (2,009.19 square miles), surround the park except near the main road.
Flora and fauna
Bénoué National Park has a habitat made up of wooded grassland. This includes different types of Sudanian woodland, such as areas dominated by Isoberlinia trees and other woodlands in the southern center of the park. In the north, the grassland is shorter and more open, with mixed wooded areas. Other habitats include dry Anogeissus forest, semi-evergreen riparian forest, and thickets along the Bénoué River and its major tributaries.
Animals found in the park include African elephants, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs, and monkeys. The most common large hoofed animals are antelope such as kob, western hartebeest, giant eland, and waterbuck, as well as African buffalo. Bénoué National Park is the only place in Africa where giant eland, the largest antelope species, can be reliably seen. African wild dogs live in the park, though they are less common here than in Faro National Park. The park is also known for its hippopotamus colonies, and crocodiles are often found in the rivers.
Since 2005, the area has been designated a Lion Conservation Unit. In 2011, the lion population was estimated to include 200 adult individuals.
Bénoué National Park is an Important Bird Area (#CM007), with recent surveys identifying 306 bird species. During the dry season, sandbars exposed by changes in the water level of the Bénoué River provide habitat for plovers and other waterbirds. Common bird species include Adamawa turtle-dove, crocodile bird, red-throated bee-eater, red-winged grey warbler, stone partridge, and violet turaco.
Population
Most people living in the park are nomadic, meaning they move from place to place. The social organization in the area is not very strict, and park guards and conservationists work with local communities. They take on roles such as teaching people about the environment and helping to resolve conflicts. At least one event involving kleptoparasitism, where villagers took meat from a lion's kill, was recorded at Bénoué National Park.