Fazao Mafakassa National Park
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The National Park Fazao - Malfakassa, also Fazao - Melfacassa National Park is a national park in Sokodé the west of the Central Region in Togo near the border with Ghana. It was created in 1975 by merging the protected forests since 1951 Fazao 1620 km ² and Malfakassa 300 km ² and is on the tentative list of World Heritage Committee.
- 4.1 Tourism
Geography
It is 1920 km ² and is located at 100 to 800 meters above sea level on the Atakora mountain range. In the north, the Monts du Fazao are the Monts de Malfakassa, in the center, with its steep cliffs, the Falaise de Boulowou along the western ridge. The National Park Fazao - Malfakassa is the only national park in West Africa with such features.
Climate and vegetation
The annual rainfall is 1200 mm. The diverse vegetation includes kerstingii tree savannah with Afzelia africana communities, Anogeissus leiocarpa and Isoberlinia doka or Monotes and Uapaca togoensis, gallery forest of Dialium guineense, Antiaris africana and Berlinia grandiflora, submontane forest and grass -covered mountain peaks. Here forests make 97 % and shrub land 1% of the park.
Fauna
Here live lions, leopards, hyenas, and several species of monkeys. At bovids Buffalo, Kobantilopen, bongos and Sitatungas occur. The number of elephants and their chances of survival are unknown. There are also cheetahs (but few ), many primates (including chimpanzees), reptiles, birds and other animals.
The National Park is one of the few places in Togo, where the Northern Ground Hornbill occurs. He is a refuge for many rare birds of prey such as Hieraaetus dubius and Spizaetus africanus, but also for the guinea fowl Guttera pucherani and the Francolin Francolinus lathami. Probably living in the area many not recorded species, especially in the densely forested valleys of the rivers Kpaza and Koue. The National Park is one of the four Important Bird Areas in Togo, together cover the 5085 km ², ie 9.4 % of the country.
Risk management and
After the political upheavals of the early 1990s, the National Park suffered from increased poaching. Other threats are illegal gold mining that destroys river basins like that of Loukoulou, and illegal collecting honey and a plan to build a road through the park to Ghana. The F. Weber Fondation signed in 1990 an agreement with the Government of Togo to manage the national park and the associated hotel for 25 years. To combat the poaching, the Fondation acquired a lightweight, low-noise aircraft and hired a pilot to scan the vast territory by poachers.
Tourism
Safari tours are offered in the dry season from November to April. The hotel " Parc Fazao ", which should contribute to the livelihood security of the large village community of Fazao was reopened after a complete renovation in November 2000. However, the hotel Parc Fazao is again closed since early 2001.