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| Eco-Tourism
The bird fauna is rich and is not heavily exploited by hunting, scanning and trapping. In contrast, mammals and reptiles were subjected to heavy exploitation, especially where human population density was high throughout the civil war. In 1980, it was estimated (by Teleki, in his report “tenanting and Trapping wildlife in Sierra Leone) that only 200-300 forest elephants remained alive and that they were confined to 4 or 5 localities (Gola forest, Loma Mountains, OKNP, the Kangari Hills and possibly the Tingi Hills). The Leopard is thought to number between 50 and 100 but in scattered and remote area, Chimpanzee estimate for the country stand at 2,000 (large groups occur in the OKNP but at Bumbuna only 2 – 5 apes survived). The larger rivers in the north and east (for example in the OKNP and the Gola Forest areas) support some 200 – 500 hippopotamus, some of these being the rare PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS. There are several other rare species in Sierra Leone such as:
Mammals
Western Baboon occurs in the North and east in any number (for e.g. OKNP, Loma mountain and Tingi Hills). Hyena is almost extinct but signs were observed at OKNP in 1975. OKNP was in the process of becoming closest to an East African National Park that exists in Sierra Leone.
Birds
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It is an indisputable fact that wildlife is at a low ebb in Sierra Leone especially in the central area of farming and uncontrolled hunting during the ten (10) years Civil War, have destroyed much of the habitat and its associated wildlife. The major regions supporting most wildlife species of interest are the forest reserves, Outamba Kilimi National Partk (OKNP) area of Southern Guinea Savanna and some remote mangrove swamps.
