Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Map showing the location of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
Location Central African Republic
Coordinates 9°0′N 21°30′E / 9.000°N 21.500°E / 9.000; 21.500Coordinates: 9°0′N 21°30′E / 9.000°N 21.500°E / 9.000; 21.500
Area 17,400 km²
Established 1979
Type Natural
Criteria ix, x
Designated 1988 (12th session)
Reference no. 475
State Party Central African Republic
Region Africa
Endangered 1997–present

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Central African Republic prefecture Bamingui-Bangoran, near the Chad border. It was inscribed to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1988 as a result of the diversity of life present within it. Notable species include black rhinoceroses, elephants, Sudan cheetahs, leopards, red-fronted gazelles, and buffalo; a wide range of waterfowl species also occurs in the northern floodplains. The site is under threat due to its rare wildlife dying and animals species being wiped out. The western black rhinoceros that was indigenous to the Central African Republic has gone extinct in 2011. The site was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger after reports of illegal grazing and poaching by heavily armed hunters, who may have harvested as much as 80% of the park's wildlife. The shooting of four members of the park staff in early 1997 and a general state of deteriorating security brought all development projects and tourism to a halt. The government of the Central African Republic proposed to assign site management responsibility to a private foundation. The preparation of a detailed state of conservation report and rehabilitation plan for the site was recommended by the World Heritage Committee at its 1998 session. People are working on breeding programs to revive the natural wildlife.

Location

The park occupies most of the eastern end of Bamingui-Bangoran province in the north of the country. The park's northern boundary is the international border with Chad on the Aouk (Bahr) and Kameur Rivers. The eastern border is the Vakaga River, the western border is the Manovo River about 40 km east of Ndéle, and the southern border is the ridge of the Massif des Bongo. The Ndéle-Birao road runs through the park.

See also

Further reading

Attribution

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