Benoue National park is located in the northern region of Cameroon. It covers 1800 square kilometers and is a designated UNESCO Bio-sphere reserve on the banks of Benoue River from which it gets its name. Benoue River meanders more than 100km into the forest and forming an eastern border to the park.
This Cameroon national park was fist gazetted as a faunal reserve around 1938 and later in 1968 it gained status as a Cameroonian National park. In 1981, it was named a UNESCO Biosphere reserve.
The Vegetation in the park is largely savannah and savannah woodlands in some of parts of the park. The dense forest covers much of the banks of River Benoue and a few rocky massifs through which the river forms rapid.
Getting there
The river is on the eastern border and is one way to access the park. Tchollire road cuts the park in the north making a direct route to access the park while on the western border is a road that links Garoua and Ngaoundere in the north and south respectively.
Wildlife
The savannah woodlands and grasslands are spotted with endangered West African lion, African elephants, waterbuck, kob, spotted hyena, warthog, hippos, crocodiles, western hartebeest, buffalo, Lord Derby eland, African wild dog and monkeys among others.
The park is an Important Bird Area with an estimated 300 bird species-both forest endemics and water birds. Some of the regular sights crocodile bird, stone patridge, violet Turaco, red winged warbler, Adamawa turtle dove, quail dove and the bee eater among others.
Activities
Besides the game viewing and bird watching, there are eight hunting reserves in the park occupying nearly 520,000ha. Hunting is however regulated.