Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
Kamuku National Park has a total land area of 1121sqkm of typical savanna woodland vegetation and a wide variety of birds and other animals like elephants, antelopes, oribi, waterbuck, wet cat, green monkey, side stripped hyena and jackal.
The park is Located in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, Kamuku National Park is also a home to the Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Denhams Bustard (Neotis denhami) and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus).
Floral and Faunal Resources
Kamuku shares the same ecosystem and boundary with the luxuriant Kwiambana Game Reserve in Zamfara State, separated only by a natural boundary-the River Mariga. Thus, the Park distinctly represents one of the best remaining blocks of the Sudan-Guinea Savannah vegetation in the country’s protected area system.
The Park has rich, close canopy vegetation of Savannah woodland type with dominant species of Isoberlina, Afzelia, Daniellia, Detarium, Raphia, etc and a few lily plant species. Tall, tough grass cover populates the marshy areas of the Park especially during the rainy season. For example, Andropogon gayanus, Penisetum purpureum, etc are the most common grasses found here.
Kamuku National Park has an enviable biodiversity profile. It supports about 19 species of mammals including elephants (a major ecotourism attraction for visitors to the Park). However, Western hartebeest seems to be the most ubiquitous animal species that can easily be sighted with a little patience.
Some Animals in the Park
Animals found in the Park are: Elephant, Roan antelope, Western Hartebeest, Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Grimm’s Duicker, Red-flanked Duiker, Oribi Patas Monkey, Green Monkey (tantalus), Baboon, Warthog, a variety of birds, insects, reptiles, rodents, etc. bird watchers would easily observe rich offering of various birds at any given time.
Interestingly, about 177 species of birds (both resident and African migrant) as well as several reptiles, fishes and insects have been sighted and documented in the Park. Important species of birds like Sagittarius serpentarius (Secretary bird) Ground hornbill, Neotics dertham and Bucarus Abyssinica (Ground hornbills), which are not commonly found elsewhere in Nigeria, exist here.
Kamuku National Park Terrain
The terrain is largely flat, rising gradually eastwards to the Birnin Gwari Ridge, which forms part of the eastern boundary. The park has Guinea Savanna vegetation with, in places, some transitional Sudan Savanna elements. Dominant tree species of the park include Isoberlinia doka, Terminalia avicennioides and Detarium macrocarpum.
Also common are Danellia oliveri, Nauclea latifolia, Acacia spp., Lophira l& anceolata, Parkia biglobosa, Prosopis africana and Isoberlinia tomentosa. Elaeis guineensis is common in riparian forests that line small, seasonal rivers. Together with the forest reserves in this area the park represents one of the best remaining blocks of Sudan–Guinea Savanna vegetation in the country’s protected-area system.
When To Visit Kamuku National Park
The park has an average annual rainfall of 1,250mm with average temperature of 300C. It has two seasons, the dry season which starts from November to April and raining season from May to November.
The hottest months are March and April, while the coldest month is December and January during the harmattan period when temperature drops to the freezing point in the evening and morning.
