Kamuku National Park is located in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State of Nigeria. It is situated between latitudes 10°40’N; Longitudes 6°11’E and 6°36E in the north-central part of Nigeria and it is the closest unit Park Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Kamuku National Park was initially by gazette of 1936, a native Authority Forest Reserve under the defunct Northern Nigeria Government. It boasts of land area of about 1,120sqkm of typical Savannah Woodland vegetation.
Floral/Faunal Resources
Kamuku shares the same ecosystem and boundary with the luxuriant Kwiambana Game Reserve in Zamfara State, separated only by a natural boundary-the River Mariga. Thus, the Park distinctly represents one of the best remaining blocks of the Sudan-Guinea Savannah vegetation in the country’s protected area system.
The Park has rich, close canopy vegetation of Savannah woodland type with dominant species of Isoberlina, Afzelia, Daniellia, Detarium, Raphia, etc and a few lily plant species. Tall, tough grass cover populates the marshy areas of the Park especially during the rainy season. For example, Andropogon gayanus, Penisetum purpureum, etc are the most common grasses found here.
Kamuku National Park has an enviable biodiversity profile. It supports about 19 species of mammals including elephants (a major ecotourism attraction for visitors to the Park). However, Western hartebeest seems to be the most ubiquitous animal species that can easily be sighted with a little patience.
List of Animals in the Park
Animals found in the Park are: Elephant, Roan antelope, Western Hartebeest, Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Grimm’s Duicker, Red-flanked Duiker, Oribi Patas Monkey, Green Monkey (tantalus), Baboon, Warthog, a variety of birds, insects, reptiles, rodents, etc. bird watchers would easily observe rich offering of various birds at any given time.
Interestingly, about 177 species of birds (both resident and African migrant) as well as several reptiles, fishes and insects have been sighted and documented in the Park. Important species of birds like Sagittarius serpentarius (Secretary bird) Ground hornbill, Neotics dertham and Bucarus Abyssinica (Ground hornbills), which are not commonly found elsewhere in Nigeria, exist here.