Southern National Park (6815)
South Sudan, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Southern National Park

Central coordinates: Latitude: 6.4167, Longitude: 28.4167

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 800 to 1000

Area of KBA (km²): 14679.82327

Protected area coverage (%): 74.01

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Southern National Park is situated on an ironstone plateau in the south-west of the country, south of the town of Wau and west of Bor. The park is bounded to the west by the Sue river and to the east by the Maridi river, while the Ibba river bisects it north–south. It consists of gently undulating country with low ranges of hills separated by the three parallel northward-flowing rivers and mostly covered with savanna woodland. It is in an area of low human population, poor soils and a high incidence of tsetse fly.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Non-bird biodiversity: The following mammals of global conservation concern occur, or used to do so: Loxodonta africana (EN), Panthera leo (VU), Lycaon pictus (EN), Syncerus caffer (LR/cd), Giraffa camelopardalis (LR/cd), Alcelaphus buselaphus (LR/cd), Kobus ellipsiprymnus (LR/cd), K. kob (LR/cd), Redunca redunca (LR/cd), Damaliscus lunatus (LR/cd), Hippotragus equinus (LR/cd), Tragelaphus derbianus (LR/nt), T. spekii (LR/nt) and Cephalophus rufilatus (LR/cd).

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	8
Forest	91

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The park, established in 1939, has benefited from little development. A management plan was prepared in 1981 but has not been implemented. The park has suffered from extremely high hunting pressure.

Additional information