Waza National Park

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Waza National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Elephants in Waza National Park.
Elephants in Waza National Park.
Location Far North Province, Cameroon
Coordinates 11°20′″N 14°44′″E / <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 1,700 km²
Established 1934
Governing body Cameroon Ministry of Environment and the Protection of Nature.

Waza National Park (French: Parc national de Waza) is a national park in Far North Province, Cameroon.[1] It was founded in 1934, albeit as a hunting reserve, and covers a total of 1,700 km².[2] The park became a National Park in 1968, and a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1979.[3]

Contents

[edit] Management

The park is managed by the Conservation Service of the Waza National Park, part of the Cameroon Ministry of Environment and the Protection of Nature.[1] In 1983, the park had a staff of twenty-five rangers;[2] however, as of 2005, that number had dropped to seven, and poachers from Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon itself were reported to have gone on a "rampage for the Park’s resources."[1] Also in 2005 the Netherlands World Conservation Union Committee agreed to pay for an additional sixteen "eco-rangers" who would assist the regular ones.[1]

[edit] Wildlife

Wildlife in Waza National Park includes giraffes[4] and 379 species of birds; among the birds that have been sighted are Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya nyroca, Aquila clanga, Falco naumanni, Neotis nuba, Ortyxelos meiffrenii, Ardeotis arabs, and Struthio camelus.[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d MacAllister, Mark. June 2005 Waza Anti-Poaching Report. Field Trip Earth. North Carolina Zoological Society. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  2. ^ a b World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1983). Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  3. ^ a b Waza National Park (Important Birds Areas of Cameroon). World Bird Database. BirdLife International (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  4. ^ Sathaye, Ruta. WCP Intern Report. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
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