Kakum National Park

**Kakum National Park**, dey de coastal area for Central Region wey dey Ghana. E bola lyk 375 square kilomètres (145 sq mi). Dem do de park for 1931 insyd so say e go check like e be reserve. dem gazette am as national park for 1992 insyd after dem do sam survey dem bell avifauna. De area be tropical forest. One thing wey dey be about de park be say e be de people for de area way start am, no be de State Department of Wildlife wey dem for do am before. Ebe three location for Africa wey get canopy walkway. Wey dey lyk 350 metres (1,150 ft) long, way esan dey connect seven trees top wey you go fi enter de forest.

De most notable endangered species of fauna for de park insyd be Diana monkey, giant bongo antelope, yellow-backed duiker den African elephant. E sanso be Important Bird Area wey de Bird Life International recognize plus de bird area fully dey overlap de park area. Dem confirm 266 species de bird inventory for de park insyd, wey dey include eight species of global conservation concern. One of dis species of concern be de white-breasted guineafowl. Dem record nine species of hornbill den de grey parrot. Wey e sanso get more dan 600 butterflies as well, wey na dem discover a new species insyd 1993. As of 2012, dem locate de densest population of forest elephants for Ghana for Kakum insyd.

De Museums and Monuments Board for de Republic of Ghana propose say UNESCO declare de park natural World Heritage Site under criteria vii den x. Dem make de submission for 2000 insyd wey dem list am under de tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

## History
Insyd 1931, de area dey drain by de headwater wey dey de catchment of de Kakum River as dem declare am as a forest reserve den manage by de Forestry Division. During dis period, dem prevent all logging operations, particularly of de mahogany (*Khaya ivorensis*) tree species. De logging operations san continue till 1989 wey de management of de reserve transfer am go de Wildlife Department.

A Feasibility Study den Preliminary 5-year Management Plan for de development of Kakum National Park as ebi ecotourism destination dem develop am insyd 1990 under a project wey dem conduct am for de United Nations Development Program (Dudley 1990). De Feasibility Study dey include preliminary biodiversity assessments give de flora den fauna of Kakum Forest Reserve den adjoining Assin-Attandanso Forest Reserve, den an elephant population survey (Dudley 1990; Dudley, Mensah-Ntiamoah,& Kpelle 1992; Dudley 1995). De Feasibility Study den Preliminary 5-year Management Plan dem develop am plus a collaborative den consultative process wey edey involve a consulting biologist, forestry officials, wildlife officials, local communities, Ghanaian universities, regional government officials, den other key stakeholders (Dudley 1992).

Dem for recognize say one, Mr. Ebenezer Kwasi Agbley, de den Central Regional Manager for Ghana Tourist Board carry dis dream come under a program he wey he initiate den implement am - Tourism Development Scheme for Central Region (TODSCER) wey he expand den e become CENTRAL REGION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM under wey later dem create Commission - Central Region Development Commission(CECECOM). He showcase de TODSCER program insyd America den draw a number of sponsoring institutions both bilateral den multi-lateral from de donor community give de project to ein maturity. De project later carry Game & Wildlife to manage den maintain the Park.

Insyd 1992, de Wildlife Department gazet Kakum say ebe park wey come under de Wildlife Reserves Regulations (Ll 1525) as de Kakum Conservation Area wey edey include de Assin Attandanso Forest Reserve. After a survey for de faunal richness wey dey de conservation area, dem split am into de Kakum National Park den de Assin Attandanso Forest Reserve for de same year insyd. Dem justify de split as ebi argument dat Cape Coast den 33 other towns plus villages continue dey need timber from de forest den potable water wey dem fi get am from Kakum River.

## Flora

; Moist forests

* *Entandrophragma cylindricum*
* *Entandrophragma angolense*
* *Guarea cedrata*
* *Guarea thompsonii*
* *Piptadeniastrum africanum*
* *Milicia excelsa (Lophira alata)* 
* *Triplochiton scleroxylon*
* *Sterculia rhinopetalia*
* *Sterculia oblonga*
* *Pterygota macrocarpa*
* *Anigeria robusta*
* *Terminalia superba*
* *Strombosia glaucescens*
* *Cola gigantea*
* *Mansonia altissima*
* *Celtis zenkeri*
* *Ricinodendron heudelotii*
* *Antiaris toxicaria*

; Swamp forests

* *Alstonia boonei*
* *Cleistopholis patens*
* *Carapa procera*
* *Mitragyna stipulosa*
* *Raphia vinifera*
* *Scandent*
* *Calamus deeratus* (Palm)
* *Laccosperma secundiflorum*
* *Laccosperma opacum*
* *Eremospatha macrocarpa*
* *Glyphaea brevis* (shrub)
* *Myriathus arboreus*
* *Paullinia pinnata*
* *Thaumatococcus daniellii* (Herb)
* *Sarcophrynium brachystachys*
* *Ataenidia conferta*

; Riverine forest (Edaphic forest)

* *Pseudospondias microcarpa*
* *Ceiba pentandra*
* *Xylopia spp*
* *Uapaca guineensis*

; Boval vegetation

* *Sansevieria liberica*
* *Commelina* *spp*
* *Hildegardia barteri* (bloom as red flowers during Christmas)
* *Elaeophorbia grandifolia*
* *Sterculia tragacantha*
* *Ceiba pathandra*
* *Albizia ferruginea*
* *Ricinodendron heudelotii*

## Fauna
De park dey contain rare animals, dem report chaw oda fauna wey dey include forest elephants, forest buffalo, civet den cats. Two hundred forest elephants (*Loxodonta cyclotis*), potto (*Perodicticus potto*), Demidoff's galago (*Galago demidovii*), African civet (*Viverra civetta*), two-spotted palm civet (*Nandinia binotata*), leopard (*Panthera pardus*), bongo (*Tragelaphus euryceros*), chaw species of duikers (small antelopes), red river hog (*Potamochoerus porcus pictus*), giant forest hog (*Hylochoerus meinertzhageni*), long-tailed pangolin (*Manis tetradactyla*), white-belied pangolin (*Manis tricuspis*), giant pangolin (*Manis gigantea*), chaw species of forest squirrels, North African crested porcupine (*Hystrix cristata*), dwarf crocodile (*Osteolamus tetraspis*), monitor lizards, Home's hinged tortoise, serrated tortoise from de park. 

Primates for de park insyd dey include de *Colobus vellerosus* (VU), *Procolobus verus* (LR/nt), den *Cercopithecus diana roloway* (CR).

## Tourism
Kakum be Ghana ein first protected area wey receive major support give visitor facilities. Dem open de visitor centre for Earth Day 1997 wey de park receive de Global Tourism for Tomorrow Award de year wey dey follow. Tourism numbers increase ova de years:  2,000 insyd 1992; 27,000 insyd 1996; ova 70,000 tourists insyd 1999; wey e attract 135,870 visitors during 2009.

## Gallery


File:KAKUM NATIONAL PARK 16.jpg|Trees
File:Canopy walkway at Kakum National Park 3.jpg|The canopy walkway
File:Childrens Park at Kakum National Park.jpg|Playground for kids
File:Kakum 2167.jpg|Canopy walkway
File:Kakum National Park entrance.jpg|Entrance
File:Kakum National Park caution 03.jpg|Sign post
File:Safety tips of the Kakum National Park.jpg|Safety tips


## References


## External links
**Kakum National Park** at Wikipedia ein sisto projects

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* Kakum National Park Official Website
* Travel information from Conservation International
* Photo Gallery of Kakum National Forest's Canopy Walk