Taï National Park

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Taï National Park*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire
Type Natural
Criteria vii, x
Reference 195
Region† Africa
Inscription history
Inscription 1982  (6th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.
Taï National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location Côte d'Ivoire
Coordinates 5°45′″N 7°07′″W / <span class="geo-dec geo" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for Expression error: Unexpected / operator Expression error: Unexpected / operator">Expression error: Unexpected / operator, Expression error: Unexpected / operator
Area 3300 km²
Established August 28, 1972

Taï National Park (Parc National de Taï) is a national park in Côte d'Ivoire containing one of the last areas of primary rainforest in West Africa. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the breadth of its flora and fauna - in particular endangered species such as the pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees, and monkeys.

Taï National Park is approximately 100 km from the Ivoirian coast on the border with Liberia between the Cavally and Sassandra Rivers. It covers an area of 3,300 km² with a 200 km² buffer zone up to 396 m.

The Tai Forest reserve was created in 1926 and promoted to National Park status in 1972. It was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and added to the list of Natural World Heritage Sites in 1982.[1]

Five mammal species of the Taï National Park are on the red list: Pygmy Hippopotamus, Olive Colobus monkeys, Leopards, Chimpanzees and Jentink's Duiker.[2][3][4][5]

The Tai Forest is a natural reservoir of the Ebola virus. The World Health Organization has expressed concern over the proximity of an International Airport at Abidjan.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Djangrang, Nimrod Bena. "Tai National Park - Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa - Column", UNESCO Courier, December 1996. Retrieved on 2008-02-26. 
  2. ^ McGraw, William Scott; Klaus Zuberbühler, Ronald Noë (2007). Monkeys of the Tai Forest: An African Primate Community. Cambridge University Press, pp. 14-16. ISBN 0521816335. 
  3. ^ Hexaprotodon liberiensis - Endangered. IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  4. ^ Pan troglodytes – Endangered. IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  5. ^ Advisory Body Evaluation (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  6. ^ French, Howard W.. "Hunt for the Creature That Ebola Calls Home", The New York Times, November 24, 1996. Retrieved on 2008-03-14. 

[edit] External links


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