Национальный парк Какум в Гане

National park in Ghana

Kakum National Park, located in the coastal environs of the Central Region of Ghana, covers an area of Established in 1931 as a reserve, it was gazetted as a national park only in 1992 after an initial survey of avifauna was conducted. The area is covered with tropical forest. The uniqueness of this park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and not by the State Department of wildlife who are responsible for wildlife preservation in Ghana. It is one of only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is long and connects seven tree tops which provides access to the forest. The most notable endangered species of fauna in the park are Diana monkey, giant bongo antelope, yellow backed duiker and African elephant. It is also an Important Bird Area recognized by the Bird Life International with the bird area fully overlapping the park area. The bird inventory confirmed 266 species in the park, including eight species of global conservation concern. One of these species of concern is the white breasted guineafowl. Nine species of hornbill and the grey parrot have been recorded. And it also has more than 600 butterflies as well, and a new species was discovered in 1993. As of 2012, the densest population of forest elephants in Ghana is located in Kakum. The Museums and Monuments Board of the Republic of Ghana has proposed that UNESCO declare the park a natural World Heritage Site under criteria vii and x. The submission made in 2000 is listed under the tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

The park contains rare animals, including forest elephants, forest buffalo, civet and cats. (Perodicticus potto), Demidoff's galago (Galago demidovii), African civet (Viverra civetta), two spotted palm civet (Nandinia binotata), leopard (Panthera pardus), bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros), many species of duikers (small antelopes), red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus pictus), giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), long tailed pangolin (Manis tetradactyla), white belied pangolin (Manis tricuspis), giant pangolin (Manis gigantea), many species of forest squirrels, North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), dwarf crocodile (Osteolamus tetraspis), monitor lizards, Home's hinged tortoise, serrated tortoise and many other fauna are reported from the park. in the park include the Colobus vellerosus (VU), Procolobus verus (LR/nt), and Cercopithecus diana roloway (CR). (Bleda eximius), red fronted antpecker (Parmoptila rubrifrons), rufous winged illadopsis (Illadopsis rufescens) and copper tailed glossy starling (Lamprotornis cupreocauda). The Vulnerable species identified are white breasted guineafowl (Agelastes meleagrides), brown cheeked hornbill (Bycanistes cylindricus), yellow casqued hornbill (Ceratogymna elata) and yellow bearded greenbul (Criniger olivaceus). with the assistance of five (5) Ghanaians the latter (staff of Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust managers of the Kakum National Park Visitor Centre)have been maintaining the facility ever since. The original concept for establishment of a canopy walkway at this location was the inspiration of Joseph Dudley, a conservation biologist recruited by Conservation International who coordinated the drafting of the Feasibility Study and Preliminary 5 year Management Plan for the development of Kakum National Park as an ecotourism destination under a project conducted for the United Nations Development Program (Dudley 1990). The Park can now boast of a Tree House which sits about 20metres from the forest floor in the trees in the Secondary Forest. This facility which houses close to 25 people provides an adventurous opportunity for campers to especially at night experience forest life. Due to the thickness of the rainforest, a number of the fauna (genets, leopards, etc.) are active in the night searching for prey to feed on. The Tree House thus provide a close proximity to the wildlife of Kakum. A trained Tour Guide is always on hand to take campers on the night hikes as well as sharing Folklore of the Kakum Forest by a bonfire. It is an intriguing adventure.

The threats faced in the park which are being addressed relate to poaching; visible proof has been recorded in the form of "camps, empty matchboxes, pieces of rubber tyres, used carbide, gunshots and cartridges" are specially trained in the medical and cultural significance of the local foliage.

Kakum is Ghana's first protected area which has received major support for visitor facilities. The visitor centre opened on Earth Day 1997 and the park received the Global Tourism for Tomorrow Award the following year. Tourism numbers have increased over the years: 2,000 in 1992; 27,000 in 1996; over 70,000 tourists in 1999; and it attracted 135,870 visitors during 2009.