Outamba-Kilimi National Park (6830)
Sierra Leone, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Outamba-Kilimi National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.7696, Longitude: -12.0263
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 to 480
Area of KBA (km2): 1349.41894
Protected area coverage (%): 79.58
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Outamba-Kilimi National Park is situated in the north of Sierra Leone, close to the border with the Republic of Guinea. It is located within the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome, but isolated patches of forest occur within the park. The park is split into two areas, Outamba (74,100 ha) and Kilimi (36,800 ha), between which lies an unprotected strip of land 25 km long by 40 km wide. The predominant vegetation is a mosaic of grassland, closed woodland and gallery forest. Outamba supports mainly tall-grass savanna and moist woodland with small areas of closed-canopy forest, while a more open savanna woodland with shorter grasses occurs in Kilimi, together with patches of boliland. Small areas of raphia palm swamp-forest and riverine grassland are found in both. The terrain is mostly flat with few hills. A number of large rivers flow south-west through the park; the Mongo and Little Scarcies across Outamba and the Great Scarcies through Kilimi. The land is generally unsuitable for agriculture. Parts of the park may be inaccessible at the height of the wet season (July–August) due to flooding of the Little Scarcies river.
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 3 for key species. A total of 256 species have been recorded from the park, including three species of global conservation concern, one of which, Circus macrourus, is only a rare migrant through the area. The other two, Ceratogymna elata and Laniarius turatii, are among 25 species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome that have been recorded (see Table 3). Notable among the species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome is Coccycolius iris. Seasonally, the park supports many waterbirds, often including thousands of Bubulcus ibis. Non-bird biodiversity: The site is an important refuge for the following primate species: Pan troglodytes verus (EN), Procolobus badius (LR/nt), Colobus polykomus (LR/nt) and Cercocebus atys (LR/nt). Other mammals include Loxodonta africana cyclotis (EN), Hexaprotodon liberensis (VU), Hyemoschus aquaticus (LR/nt) and Cephalophus maxwelli (LR/nt).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 28 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 14 | |
| Forest | 56 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Outamba-Kilimi is both the only National Park and the only non-forest protected area in the country. A management plan has been developed, but remains unimplemented. The main threat is heavy hunting pressure, especially in Kilimi, of elephants, chimpanzees and monkeys. Local fishing methods, which employ small-mesh-size nets and poisonous herbs, may pollute or degrade the aquatic systems and render the water unfit for consumption. Honey-gathering takes place destructively, by cutting down and burning trees. Bush fires periodically result from this and from subsistence farming. Emergency funding in the 1990s alleviated some of the logistical problems faced by the park’s management and enhanced surveillance and law enforcement, but the lingering effects of the long-running civil war have retarded or halted progress.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Harding and Harding (1982), Phillipson (1978).