Bayelsa National Forest
About Bayelsa National Forest
The Bayelsa National Forest is an area in the Niger Delta region of
southeast Nigeria that is home to some of the last chimpanzees in
Nigeria. It covers part of the old Nembe Kingdom, now divided into the Nembe
and Brass local government areas, in Bayelsa State. The
reserve is a freshwater swamp forest with an area of 9,324 hectares. The
habitat has been degraded by oil-industry and logging operations. Although
there are relatively few roads in the region, hunters can gain access to the
forest through the creeks and along oil pipelines. The forest is also under
threat from expansion of oil palm plantations.
The Bayelsa National Forest can be visited by tourists and historians.
In
1995, hunter's reports suggested that there were 5-10 small chimpanzee groups
in the general area, probably with no more than 50 individuals. Older hunters
tended to avoid chimpanzees, but younger hunters boasted of killing them. Young
chimps captured as a result of hunting typically are sold as pets or to zoos.
