Gacan Libaax (6862)
Somalia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Gacan Libaax
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.8667, Longitude: 44.8000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 to 1000
Area of KBA (km2): 435.892273
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Gacan Libaax (Ga’an Libah) is situated in the western part of the northern mountains, south of the coastal town of Berbera, extending westwards along the escarpment from near the village of Shiikh. Included also is Mount Wagar, immediately to the north of Shiikh. The vegetation of the site comprises c.30,000 ha of Afromontane vegetation and 20,000 ha of Buxus hildebrandtii-dominated evergreen and semi-evergreen bushland and thicket.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. This is the only locality known in the country for Cercomela dubia (and Muscicapa gambagae), while several of the other Somali–Masai biome species, including Rhynchostruthus socotranus, are known from few other IBAs nationally. Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, Papio hamadryas (LR/nt), Oreotragus oreotragus (LR/cd), Dorcotragus megalotis (VU) and Gazella dorcas pelzelni (VU) have been recorded.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Gacan Libaax has been proposed as a National Park.