Waza National Park
The Waza National Park (French: Parc national de Waza ) is a 170,000 hectare Biosphere Reserve in the province of Extrême -Nord in Cameroon. The park entrance is located on the road between Maroua and Kousséri in the southwest of Waza - level, the park itself in the Lake Chad Basin to 300 to 500 meters above sea level.
The reserve was founded in 1934 and in 1968 declared a national park. The State of Cameroon has sought to include it in the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage. With the Chingurmi - Duguma - sector of the Nigerian National Park Chad Basin it is connected by a corridor biosphere.
The climate is typical of the Sahel semi-arid and tropical. The rainy season lasts from June to October, while the dry season lasts from November to April. The rainfall averages 600 mm, the temperature fluctuates 15-48 ° C.
The huge grassy areas in the eastern part of the Waza National Park are flooded during the rainy season. The western part has different density, mostly wooded with acacias. Rare plant species are Hyparrhenia rufa, sorghum arundinaceum, Echinochloa pyramidalis, Pennisetum ramosum, Vetiveria nigritana and Oryza longistaminata.
Wildlife
Among the most prominent large animals which are native to Waza, heard the Lion, who lives here in one of its northernmost occurrence. The population was in the 1960s a further 100 animals were living in 2002 still around 50 lions in the park area. THe last census in 2007-2008 revealed that only a residual amount of 14-21 lions is left. If no drastic protective measures are enforced, threatens the lion of the area in the near future extinction.
In addition, Waza is still home of the African elephant. Here, the park is one of the last strongholds of these gray giants in the area of the Sahel, although he has never been more than a few hundred commanded sufficient habitat. In extreme dry periods, the animals had had to be sometimes even supplied with water. In addition, you will find one of the last major populations of giraffe within the Sahel and individual cheetahs. Often Buffon Kobantilopen. After these antelopes experienced a sharp population decline in the 1980s in the park and the number of 20,000 fell to just 2,000 animals, increased their holdings until the mid- 1990s again to about 5,000 animals. Other large herbivores of the park are warthog, roan antelope, Rotstirngazellen and korrigum - gurdy antelopes. Less common are reedbuck, waterbuck and duiker. Bushbuck and Rotflankenducker other hand, could no longer be detected in the area since the 1980s. At the beginning of the 20th century, hippos, black rhino and Cape buffalo in the area came before, but these types are missing today. In addition, the park is home to approximately 379 bird species, such as crested cranes.
The park is affected by the 1979 in the south built Maga Dam.