This park is located in the north eastern part of Nigeria and it’s between Borno and Yobe states. The park covers a total land area of 2258km² and it covers three Eco-regions of Bade Nguru wetlands, Bulatura Oases and the Chingurmi-Duguma.
The Bade-Nguru wetlands sector which is sometimes referred to as Hadejia-Nguru covers an area of 938km² and its south of Bade and Jakusko. The most important attraction here is the Dogona Water birds sanctuary, the most outstanding visitors to this sanctuary were the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Bernhardt of Netherlands and prince Philip who toured the place between 1987 and 1989. This sanctuary is internationally recognised because of its significance of its migrant birds.
Bulatura Sector is spotted for its magnificent landscape of Sand dunes within the Yusufari town of Yobe state. This covers a total land area of 92km². The sector is known also for its great valley of fertile zones with a great swamp within the Oases, all these provide a nice stunning eco-tourism destination to the enthusiastic tourist to the park.
Chingurmi-Duguma Sector, this is considered to be the largest sector and it has got around 1228km², this is located in the districts of Gulumba and Woloji all found in the Borno State. This is characterised by elephant grasses and the dotted acacia woodland
Wildlife
The park contains some rare desert wildlife such as red fronted gazelle and many other species of mammals. The park is also home to a variety of rare or endangered species of animals such as Ostriches, Roan antelope, Topi, Red fronted gazelle, Leopard, Secretary birds.
Cross River National Park (Okwango and Oban section)
Cross River National Park is located between in the extreme of south-eastern corner of Nigeria and it’s in Cross River State. The park covers an area of about 4000km². It’s considered to be the greatest rainforest reserve on the coastal region. The park is mainly found in the mosaic vegetation on the Obudu Plateau. The park is bisected into two divisions including Oban and Okwango sections.
The Oban Hills Division
This division was established in 1988, this has got the oldest rain forest in Africa and it is considered to be a complete biodiversity hot spot to all. This division is associated with common chimpanzees that dwell within the large forest and gray-cheeked mangabey. This has got lowland with tree species of African corkwood tree, mahogany and red iron wood. About 1303 flowering plants are observed in this region.
The park is among the two parks of Nigeria with the Xavier’s greenbul is found, besides those other bird species seen here includes olive tailed cuckoo, bare-cheeked trogon, lyre tailed honey guide, grey throated tit-flycatcher plus the bat hawk.
Okwango Division
This section is made up of Boshi, Okwango and Boshi extension forest reserve and it covers an area of about 920km², this is 1700m above sea level. It was created in 1991, The Park is separated from Oban division to the south by about 50km and it is south west of the Obudu plateau. This division shares a border with Takamanda Forest Reserve of the Republic of Cameroon. This division is characterised by a rugged and rocky ridges with the highest points being the Sankwala Mountains lying in the north and the Mbe Mountain in the south west.
This division has got rivers such as Oyi, Okon and Bemi rivers and other tributaries of the cross river, in the downstream, the division is covered by lowland forest with a richly diverse flora with over 1545 species and some of the species are endemic to the area.
The division is also a bird haven due to over 280 species of birds recorded among which includes the Grey-Necked rock fowl found around Mbe mountain, the Golden Greenbul which is rare in Nigeria but found here plus the grey parrot. Larger mammals found in the park include the African buffalo, and the endangered African forest elephant. Over 200 chimpanzees reside in this division.
The division is also a gorilla habitat found in the montane environment of hills plus escarpments. The best place for gorillas is Mbe Mountain with over 40 individuals.
