Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The avifauna is rich, with 322 species recorded, and includes Telophorus kupeensis, recently found to occur, along with many species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome. One species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) also occurs (Table 3).

Site description Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary lies between the towns of Nguti and Bangem, to the east of the Nguti–Mamfe road. Situated between Korup National Park (CM019) to the west and Santchou (CM018) to the east, Banyang Mbo falls naturally into two sections, a northern block of about 34,000 ha, lying between 200 m and 500 m, where the terrain is generally flat, and a mountainous southern part (which represents a small northern extension of the Bakossi mountains, CM022), where the land rises to over 1,700 m. The vegetation in the northern block is coastal evergreen rainforest while, in the south, it is a mix of mid-altitude and montane forest. The two sectors are separated by a transition zone of inselbergs supporting low-canopy forest. There are also extensive patches of secondary forest where logging has occurred. Average annual rainfall is c.3,000 mm.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Banyang - Mbo	Wildlife Sanctuary	69,145	protected area contains site	64,000

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity The population of Loxodonta africana (EN) has been significantly reduced by poaching. Other mammals that remain include Pan troglodytes (EN) and Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN).

Management considerations Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary was gazetted in 1996 when the pre-existing Banyang Mbo Council Forest Reserve was extended to include the mountains. The sanctuary was created for the protection of certain mammal species and crocodiles. It is under pressure from logging, hunting and agricultural encroachment—there are a number of villages within the sanctuary boundaries (indeed, this is allowed by law). The populations of some large mammal species have been seriously affected by hunting. A community-based conservation project is working in the region.

References Powell (1998).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

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