Niumi National Park

The Niumi National Park ( NNP) is a national park in the West African nation of Gambia. It lies to the northwest in the North Bank region in the district of Lower Niumi and was established in 1987.

Topography

The national park has an area of ​​4940 hectares and includes the narrow crescent- shaped island Jinack Iceland (also Jinnack, Djinak or Ginak ) and an area on the mainland. The approximately 700 meter wide island has a north- south orientation and has the Atlantic Ocean on an eleven- kilometer-long stretch of beach. The beach runs from the village of Barra in the south to the border with the neighboring state of Senegal to the north. The side facing away from the sea is separated from the narrow channel about 50 meters Niji Bolong from the mainland, so that one can hardly speak of an island. The Niji Bolong opens in the north to the Massarinko Bolong, which opens on Senegalese territory in the Jinnak Creek. At all the local waters there are extensive mangrove forests.

On the Senegalese side, the 180,000 -acre Delta du Saloum National Park and on, which extends across the estuary of the River Saloum. This river delta is recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve and recognized as wetlands according to the Ramsar Convention. The NNP sees itself as a cross-border conservation area, being recognized as a Ramsar site is also sought.

Flora and Fauna

The Niumi National Park with its mangrove forests, which consist mainly of Rhizophora species, offers a variety of habitat types. So many birds are native here, including many water birds and migratory birds. The latter try their winter quarters. The coastline also offers a Nistmöglichkeit for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). In the waters, which are also an important spawning area for fish, the rare African manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis ), Cameroon river dolphins live ( Sousa teuszii ) and Kapotter ( Aonyx capensis ).