Korup National Park

Korup Cameroon National Park is located in the south western province near the border with Nigeria between the towns of Eyumojock and Mundemba. The park occupies nearly 1,260sq km most of it under Korup forest gallery.  There are a few rivers crisscrossing in the forest

Korup forest

This rain forest is one of the oldest forests in Africa probably 60 million year old. There are several species of plants, trees and shrubs in the forests. Statistics states more than 4509 herbs, 600 tree species and shrubs.

The forests are very ancient, rich in endemics, and highly diverse. The forest canopy is generally 15-25 m tall, with emergents up to 50 m tall. A typical large tree, second-most common in terms of basal area, is Lecomtedoxa klaineana with huge boles and impressive buttresses.

Wildlife
The rain forest is home to more than 100 species of mammals, 435 bird species, 170 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 140 kinds of fish. Some of the animals in the park include several species of primates such as chimpanzee, red capped mangabey, red-eared monkey, red colobus monkey, baboons and the endangered drill among others. Other mammals in the park include leopards, duikers, buffalos and elephants. Many of the species are under extinction and are threatened by poaching and other human activities.

Some of the birds in the park include brilliant blue-headed bee-eaters, long-tailed hawks, Sjostedt’s owlets, black guinea fowl, and others.

Access

The route to the park is through the village of Mundemba, a five hours drive from buea or 6 hours flight from Douala International Airport. The road to Mudemba is slippery during the rainy season July to November while its is dusty during the dry season

The park headquarters are located at at Nguti in the north, or, in the south, at Mundemba. You’ll find ranger guides and a few facilities for adventure activities in the park such as boasting trips and hiking gear.

The park has very wet conditions all through the year with 5300 mm of rainfall annually. The dry season in December-February is the best time to visit the park and an intense wet season from May-October. Rainfall is however heaviest in August.

Activities

Hiking is a thrilling adventure in Korup National Park. A 10km suspended hiking trail or foot bridge –Mana Bridge hangs over Mana River up to the Chimpanzee camp on the other end. Boat trips are another way to discover this Cameroon forest habitat to the coastal mangroves.