Gashaka-Gumti National Park is in the mountainous region of north-eastern Nigeria, just north of the Mambilla plateau and close to the international border with Cameroon. No highways exist in this isolated area; solitary pathways meander through the mountainous jungle leading to Cameroon. Within the confines of a single protected area, visitors to the park may take in breathtaking views of rocky, brooding mountains, expansive, sweeping grasslands, plentiful animals, and diverse ethnic cultures.
There are few locations on Earth with as many varied animals and breathtaking beauty as this one. One of the continent’s best-kept secrets is undoubtedly Gashaka-Gumti National Park, a hidden gem in West Africa.
The largest park in Nigeria, Gashaka-Gumti National Park, has 6,731 square kilometres of undeveloped land. Gashaka village in Taraba State and Gumti village in Adamawa State, two of the oldest and most historic towns in the area,are the sources of the park’s name. A government decree in 1991 combined the Gumti Game Reserve with the Gashaka Game Reserve to become the Gashaka-Gumti National Park. The park’s southern half is referred to in this guidebook as the Gashaka sector, and the northern half is called the Gumti sector.
Large tracts of rainforest, woods, and montane grasslands may be found in the park’s Southern Gashaka sector, which is hillier than the relatively flat Northern Gumti region. This topography has rivers that sprint, steep hills heavily covered in forest, and deep valleys that plunge sharply. The peaks and pinnacles of Gangirwal in the Southern Park sector, which stands at an astounding 2,400 metres above sea level and is Nigeria’s tallest mountain, are located at the height of 450 metres above sea level in the untamed savannah plains of the Northern sector.
The great diversity of ecosystems in Gashaka-Gumti National Park contributes to the area’s exceptional animal richness. The park is a complex mosaic of dark lowland rainforests, luxuriant montane rainforests scattered with ferns and orchids, savannah woods, lakes, massive rivers, and montane grasslands. Every environment sustains the unique plant and animal community that inhabits it.
Animals, including the giant forest hog, leopard, yellow-backed duiker, golden cat, and several monkey species, including chimpanzees, find refuge in rainforests. In addition to antelopes like waterbuck, roan antelope, kob, hartebeest, and the biggest antelope in the world, the giant eland, woodland savannahs are home to buffalo, lion, elephant, and wild dogs. The park’s highlands are home to endangered Adamawa Mountain reedbuck populations, warthogs, baboons, klipspringers, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and oribi. Fish, hippos, crocodiles, and otters may be found in its most significant, pristine rivers.
With over 500 species found here (Gashaka-Gumti National Park), the park is officially recognised as one of Africa’s “Important Bird Areas.” This designation is most definitely earned. Observers of birds visiting often add new species to the list. With abundant other animals like butterflies, flowers, and trees, this park is a naturalist’s dream come true with unparalleled diversity.
