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John Nchami (afrol.com), 20 October - The Government of Cameroon has agreed to merge the Boumba-Bek and the Nki Reserves in the South East Forests to form the country's largest protected area. Since 1992, WWF has been working, through its South East Forests Project, towards the gazettement and protection of these two biologically significant areas. With the recent withdrawal of logging concessions in a corridor linking the Boumba-Bek and the Nki Reserves in the South East Forests, and absorbing the area in the Reserves, the Government of Cameroon has agreed to form what will be the country's largest protected area covering more than 7,560 square kilometres. WWF has been working since 1992, through its South East Forests Project, towards the gazettement and protection of these two biologically significant areas. "We have already accomplished the most difficult stages of the process which entailed extensive consultation with the local communities to involve them in the plans and boundary demarcation," says Paul Noupa, WWF Protected Area Advisor. "Now nobody will be able to claim ignorance of the existence of the National Park and the local people will be involved in the conservation of the area". WWF has also prepared a zoning plan and detailed technical document justifying the gazettement of the area. The Boumba-Bek and Nki Reserves are the only two unlogged areas in the South East Forests. Both Reserves are home to large populations of elephant, buffalo, chimpanzee, gorilla, bongo, assorted drill species and antelopes. Most of these animals - from the biggest elephant to the smallest antelope - can be seen in the open forest clearings (savannah) found chiefly in the Boumba-Bek Reserve. These forest clearings offer wonderful opportunities for wildlife management because it is relatively easy to follow the animals and monitor their movements by radio tracking. The South East Forest savannahs also offer excellent possibilities for ecotourism. The area is sure to thrill those with a taste for adventure. A six to ten-hour meandering boat ride down the rivers Ngoko and Dja ends at the magnificent and majestic Nki Waterfalls. "Nobody who ever visited this site has remained unmoved", says Noupa. Two fish species, new to science, were recently discovered in the waters of the Nki Reserve and the expectation is that much more is out there to be discovered. Although much has been achieved, there remains much to be done. These two biologically significant areas are now facing a new threat by the recent creation of Uniteés Forestières d'Aménagement or logging concessions around them. With the installation of sawmills in these logging concessions will come an increase in human population, thereby putting more pressure on the natural resources, especially on the wildlife. Poaching is also likely to increase. The WWF Protected Area Advisor however, says the advanced stage of the gazettement of the Boumba-Bek and Nki Reserves is a bonus in fighting against illegal hunting through the public awareness it has created and recently recruited transboundary patrols are already helping to stem wildlife poaching within the Reserves. John Nchami is Communications Officer in the WWF Cameroon Programme Office in Yaounde.
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