The Bamingui-Bangoran National Park complex is a national park and biosphere reserve found in the northern part of the Central African Republic. It is part of the Guinea-Congo Forest biome. The Vassako Bolo Strict Nature Reserve is located inside the park.
History
The park was created in 1993. In 2012, Séléka rebels took control of the park, which caused its condition to worsen. In 2018, rangers working for the Wildlife Conservation Society started to patrol the area. On December 18, 2018, park rangers had a conflict with rebels during a hunting event. One rebel was killed, and the other three ran away.
Geography and environment
The park and biosphere reserve complex is located in the center-north of the country, west of N'Délé, and near the border with Chad. It can be reached from Bangui, the capital city, and is located west of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. This area has more wild animals than Manovo-Gounda.
The national park covers 1,070,000 hectares and is part of the mid-Sudanian plant life region in the Central African Republic. It lies on a plateau at an elevation of 400–500 meters (1,300–1,600 feet) above sea level. Water from the area flows northwest toward the Chari River. A 202-kilometer (126-mile) section of the Bamingui River’s left bank floodplain and a 105-kilometer (65-mile) section of the Bangoran River’s floodplain are protected. A smaller 30-kilometer (19-mile) section on the Bangoran River’s right bank is not protected.
The climate includes a rainy season from May to October in the southern part of the park, which shortens to June to September in the northern areas. The air can feel damp throughout the year.
The main ecosystem of Bamingui-Bangoran is tropical dry or deciduous forests. Major habitats include dry forests, wooded savannas, soil-related savannas, and gallery forests. Trees found here include Terminalia, Isoberlinia doka, and Anogeissus.
Some large mammals in the park have unique traits linked to the Chari-Logone River system’s history from the Pleistocene era. The park was once home to the now-extinct Western Black Rhinoceros, which disappeared from the country in 1986. One mammal, the Chadian wild dog, is endangered. The Sudan cheetah, Central African lion, and African manatee are classified as vulnerable. According to Spinage, antelope populations have decreased significantly since 1960.
The park is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large numbers of bird species. The red-faced lovebird lives here and in Nigeria’s Gashaka Gumti National Park.
Amphibians in the park include the Mascarene ridged frog, sharp-nosed ridged frog, Schilluk ridged frog, Galam white-lipped frog, cryptic sand frog, ornate frog, crowned bullfrog, flat-backed toad, shovelnose frog, Senegal kassina, and Natal puddle frog.
Ecological threats to the park include foreign timber and mining operations, poaching, and clearing land for farming.