Kalamaloué National Park (6104)
Cameroon, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Kalamaloué National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.1333, Longitude: 14.9000
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 285 to 285
Area of KBA (km2): 66.96077
Protected area coverage (%): 99.90
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Kalamaloué National Park, situated in the north of the country, is bordered to the north by the Chari river, where it forms the border with Chad, to the east by the town of Kousséri and, in the south, by the Logone flood-plain (CM002). The park lies partly in the flood-plain of the Chari river and is crossed by several branches of the river and associated levées. In lower-lying parts a dense Mimosa pigra scrub dominates while, locally, Echinochloa stagnina forms productive grasslands. There are Tamarindus indica and Celtis africana woodlands on the levées while most of the higher areas are covered by open Balanites aegyptiaca woodland and annual grassland. The southern part of the park is dominated by Acacia nilotica woodland.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. Due to its varied habitat, Kalamaloué holds a large avifauna, but one which has not been surveyed systematically. Circus macrourus is a common winter visitor. It is likely that Kalamaloué also harbours a population of Prinia fluviatilis since the species is known from immediately adjacent parts of Chad in identical habitat. Five species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) have also been recorded; see Table 3. There are counts of between 300–400 Balearica pavonina. Non-bird biodiversity: An internationally important population of Gazella rufifrons (VU) occurs, and may even be increasing. The park used to hold good numbers of Damaliscus lunatus korrigum (VU), but they have been much reduced by poaching and drought. Kalamaloué is also an important refuge for Loxodonta africana (EN), with a population of 300 individuals, which move from Waza (CM003) during the dry season.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Kalamaloué National Park was created in 1973. Despite this, large mammal populations have declined, due to the construction of the main highway linking Maroua and Kousséri in the early 1980s, and the civil war in neighbouring Chad. This degradation accelerated in the early 1990s, the result of the increasing neighbouring population and political unrest. Current threats include cutting of firewood, overgrazing and fishing.
Additional information
References: Chappuis et al. (1992), Kavanagh (1974), Scholte (1996), Scholte and Dowsett (2000), Scholte et al. (1999), Tchamba (1996), Tchamba et al. (1994).