IUCN Management Category IV (Managed Nature Reserve)

Biogeographical Province 3.01.01 (West African Woodland/savanna)

Geographical Location There are two separate units in the Tambatcha Chiefdom of Bombali district in north-west Sierra Leone. The western park boundary is the Great Scarcies River which is the border with Guinea. 9°35'-9°55'N, 11°55'-12°30'W.

Date and History of Establishment Provisional legislation passed in 1981, but actually designated in January 1986 by Government Notice No. 76 (Kilimi National Park) and Government Notice No. 77 (Outamba National Park).

Area 98,000ha

Land Tenure Land donated by Tambakha Chiefdom to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Altitude 50-300m

Physical Features There are broad river plains with large seasonally flooded areas (bolilands) and isolated hills. The park encloses the prime watershed area of the Great Scarcies (Kolenten) and Little Scarcies (Kaba) Rivers which supply irrigation water to 20% of the country's agricultural land. The park lies on Birrimian granites with richer soil along the riverine forest slopes. There is a tropical savanna climate with mean annual rainfall of 2,300mm, 95% falling from June to December. March is the hottest month with mean temperature of 28°C and diurnal range of 22°C. Wet season mean monthly temperatures are about 21°C, with a diurnal range of 14°C.

Climate No information

Vegetation Within the sourthern guinea savanna is a mosaic of different habitats; short grasses on lateritic hardpans, boli grasses in seasonally flooded areas, sedge grasses on granite outcrops and savanna woodland of Lophira and Daniellia species on the plains; riverine forest along the Great Scarcies typified by Parinari, Pseudospondias, Spondias, and Dialium species; and small remnant forest along streams and on the top of several small hills.

Fauna Primates recorded are: Campbell's monkey Cercopithecus campbelli, green monkey C. aethiops, lesser white-nosed monkey C. petaurista, sooty mangabey Cercocebus torquatus, western black-and-white colobus Colobus polykomos, red colobus C. badius, chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (T), and guinea baboon Papio papio. Mammals also include: buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus, bushpig Potamochoerus porcus, bay duiker Cephalophus dorsalis, Maxwell's duiker C. monticola, black diuker C. niger, red-flanked duiker C. rufilatus, yellow-backed duiker C. silvicultor, bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus, cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis, side-striped jackal Canis adustus, african civet Viverra civetta, brush-tailed porcupine Atherurus africanus, leopard Panthera pardus (T), and elephant Loxodonta africana (T). Nile crocodile (V) and hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius have been recorded and it is thought possible that the pygmy hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis (V) may occur (though there is little or no evidence for this). Over 130 species of birds have been recorded, including wetland species of the bolilands.

Cultural Heritage No information

Local Human Population No information

Visitors and Visitor Facilities No information

Scientific Research and Facilities In 1979/1980 a wildlife survey was sponsored by the New York Zoological Society, Fauna and Flora Preservation Society and WWF. A vegetation map has been prepared from infra-red aerial photographs. In 1982, a botanical and mammal survey was made of the Kilimi area by Njala University College and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1983, local farming techniques and land productivity were surveyed as baseline data for the government resettlement scheme. In 1983/1984, a small mammal survey and fieldguide compilation was attempted by the Smithsonian Institution.

Camping may be available at Park Headquarters.

Conservation Value No information

Conservation Management The protection was partial, with very little control of hunting, tree-felling and cultivation. Hopefully establishment of the area as a national park will improve the situation.

None (though the park is split between two sites).

A five-year management plan was prepared following a 1980 wildlife survey. Park Headquarters were established at Kaba with access roads under development, and VSO and U.S. Peace Corp volunteers started to train staff in maintenance and conservation management. However, resettlement of 23 villages had not occured by 1985, due to lack of the necessary legislation to enforce this and lack of money for compensation, so that expatriate staff left.

Management Constraints Susu villagers slash and burn and there is commercial exploitation of certain animal species for food. Exploitation for export is now prohibited, but not enforced. Hunters from Liberia cause significant damage to wildlife with their sophisticated weapons, but the government is now attempting to control this cross-border movement.

Staff This originally included a park director with 25 permanent staff, four visiting overseas advisors, and 10 temporary labourers, but now only a reduced staff from the Wildlife Department remains.

Budget Solarex Corporation supplied solar power and WWF supported the establishment of Park infrastructure.

Local Addresses

The information and business office is in Kamakwie and park headquarters are at Kaba.

References

Harding, D.P. and Harding, R.S.O. (1982). A preliminary checklist of birds in the Kilimi area of north-west Sierra Leone. Malimbus 4: 64-68.

Harding, R.S.O. (1982). Large mammals of the Kilimi area, Sierra Leone. University of Pennsylvania.

IUCN/WWF Project 1993. Outamba-Kilimi National Park.

Teleki, G. and Bangura, I. (1981). Outamba-Kilimi National Park. Zoonooz 54(10).

Date April 1985