One of the largest rainforest ecosystems that is fully protected, this is a very special place. Only covering 77 miles (200 square km) within the a forest block covering 1,082 km2 (418 sq mi) called Okomu Forest Reserve in the Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State in Nigeria.

It is a small fragment of the rich rainforest that carpeted this whole region just a few decades ago. The smallest Nigerian national park, is smallest, partly because the it has been gradually nibbled away by the surrounding villages, as they have needed or wanted specific things – which has meant that the park is now less than 1/3 of the size that it was originally. There are also multiple plantations and logging concessions in the area around the reserve – which can cause a threat, as these things are found within reserves in many parts of the world.

Once part of a belt 31-62 miles wide, that ran from the  Niger delta, down to Dalhomey gap in Benin. While this threat is significant, there is a layer of charcoal and pottery below the forest, suggesting that around 700 years ago, the area was deforested. This belt was broken up by the beginning of the 20th century, and each of these fragments were already being reduced on all sides.

Despite the small size, the park has diverse fauna, with 33 species of mammals including the African buffalo and the endangered African forest elephant. Elephant sightings are rare, although in 2007 a one-year-old elephant carcass was found, unlikely to have died from natural causes. Park officials claim that elephant poaching no longer occurs, despite the high prices commanded for ivory in Lagos. It is unclear how many elephants remain, though I should point out in 2001 the elephant population across the whole of Nigeria was thought to be around 94, and the countries population is thought to have grown up to around 400 in the intervening 23 years. The left hand video below, is of elephants from this reserve, While African wild dog are known to have been lost in recent years, it is less clear on the Lion. It is mentioned in much of its literature, but no population is listed on most sites for the lions of Okomu. In good land, lions can live at a density of around 1 for every 5 square miles, however, the Gir forest is thought to be around 1400 square km but has 600 lions (I think that it is reasonable to suggest that some of these do not live here, I have written about the seaside lions which live around 100 miles from here – let us suppose there are still 300 in the reserve. Given that the reserve is only 545 square miles, that suggests around 1 lion ever 2 square miles. Given that Okomu has Asiatic lions, it is clear that the reserve could support around 35 individuals, which is a significant number, given the country currently only supports 50. However, given the problems with the reserve, at the current time, it is likely that any lion reintroduction would fail quickly, with either the lions or their prey being hunted out of existence.

Should you work around the reserve, I would love to hear from you, and have up to date and accurate information about this place. We are also eager to help people book their visit with you.