Lobéké National Park, also called Lake Lobake National Park, is a protected area in southeastern Cameroon. It is located in the Moloundou Arrondissement of East Province. The park is in the Congo Basin. The Sangha River forms its eastern border and separates Cameroon from the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo. Lobéké National Park is next to two other protected areas in those countries. To the northwest of Lobéké National Park is Boumba Bek National Park, another protected area in Cameroon's East Province.

At a meeting of the Ministers of Forests from the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), it was decided to create the Sangha River Tri-national Protected Area (STN) within the Congo Basin. This area includes the Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve in the Central African Republic, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), and Lobéké National Park in Cameroon.

History

In 1991, the WWF completed a study about the plants and animals in the Lobéké area and suggested increasing the protected land from 40,000 to 400,000 hectares. In October 1999, the park was officially named a National Park. That same year, the Yaoundé Declaration was signed, creating an agreement between three countries to work together to protect the area. This agreement included the Dzanga-Sangha Forest Reserve in the Central African Republic and the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. The combined protected area, called the Sangha Trinational, is managed by the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and supported by international groups like the World Wildlife Fund, the German Cooperation of Technical Collaboration (GTZ), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In 2012, the entire Sangha Trinational protected area, including Lobéké National Park, was recognized as a World Heritage Site.

Geography

Lobéké National Park is part of the Moloundou area, which is near Boumba-et-Ngoko. The Moloundou region is known as one of Africa's most important areas for rubber production, and the Germans built a rubber factory there. Lobéké is close to the borders of the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Because of this, a joint environmental project was created with Lobéké, the Dzanga-Sangha Forest Reserve, and the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The park covers 1,838.55 square kilometers (709.87 square miles), and its elevation ranges from 300 meters (980 feet) to 750 meters (2,460 feet) above sea level. More than twelve natural savannas, called saline swamps, are found within the park. Sandbars are also present along the Sangha River. The average yearly rainfall is 1,400 millimeters, with the dry season lasting from December to February. Large open areas in the forest, called bais, have soil rich in minerals that attract large animals. Lobéké is home to several ethnic groups, including the Baka, the Bantu, and the Bangando.

Flora and fauna

Lobéké is mostly a semi-evergreen forest. Most of the forest has never been logged. The forest has many different types of plants. The main plant species are Malvaceae (Triplochiton scleroxylon, Pterygota, Ceiba pentandra) and Terminalia superba. The area under the tree canopy has plants from the Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae families, or trees from the Ebenaceae and Annonaceae families. Near streams, there are groups of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei. Palm thickets and sedge marshes are found near the savannas. Lobéké has more than 300 types of trees.

Lobéké has some of the highest numbers of African forest elephants and western lowland gorillas in Africa. Other animals include chimpanzees, gorillas, leopards, and ten species of forest ungulates. In addition to mammals, the area has 215 species of butterflies, 134 species of fish, 18 species of reptiles, and 16 species of amphibians.

Lobéké National Park is an Important Bird Area (#CM033). Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the park. Birds found here include the African green pigeon, hornbills, yellow-throated cuckoo, sandy scops owl, and chocolate-backed kingfisher. In Cameroon and Gabon, the park is an important area for the Dja River scrub warbler.

Environmental issues

Lobéké is near the countries of Congo and the Central African Republic. Because of this, the park is part of an environmental program involving three countries. This program includes the Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve in the Central African Republic and the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo. Observation towers built 5 meters (16 feet) above the ground help scientists study the environment and support visitors.

Timber cutting, hunting for safari, and poaching for bushmeat, uncommon animals, and ivory are problems in the area. Illegal fishing and hunting of birds are major issues. Each year, thousands of African gray parrots are captured and sent illegally abroad. In 1997, the government banned exporting birds, but many were still caught and sold for traditional medicine and other reasons. There may be mineral deposits in the region. A growing local population depends on natural resources for survival.