Digya National Park

Digya National Park
Location	Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana
Coordinates	7°25′N 0°17′W / 7.417°N 0.283°W / 7.417; -0.283Coordinates: 7°25′N 0°17′W / 7.417°N 0.283°W / 7.417; -0.283
Area	3,743 km²
Established	1971

Digya National Park is the second largest national park and the oldest protected area in Ghana. It is located in the Brong-Ahafo Region. It was created in 1900 and given national park status in 1971. The park is the only wildlife territory in Ghana to have Lake Volta at its borders.

Geography

Occupying an area of 3,743 square kilometers, the park is the second largest national park in Ghana. It is in the Brong-Ahafo Region and is bordered on the north, south, and east by Lake Volta.^[1] Located on a lowland peninsular, it has an undulating terrain.^[2] It is located in a transitional area between a forest and savanna.^[3]

History

Digya National Park was created in 1900 as a protected area, the first in Ghana.^[1] It was acquired by the government^[4] and gazetted as a national park in 1971.^[1] When the government acquired the park, there were living settlements in the park, with most of the residents being fishermen and farmers. In 2006, there were 49 settlements and the government of Ghana began evicting settlement residents from the park.^[4] In early 2005, a patrol-based system was established in the park in to curb illegal activity.^[5]

Wildlife

The park is home to at least six primate species^[6] and elephants belonging to some of the less studied species in Africa. The elephant population in the park is the second largest in Ghana.^[7] There are also manatees and clawless otters in arms of Lake Volta that extend into Digya National Park. More than 236 species of birds live in the park.^[1] This park is the only wildlife territory in Ghana to border on Lake Volta, the largest man-made body of water in the country.^[1][6]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Digya National Park". Ghana Wildlife Division. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614Seg1M7. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
2. ^ "Ghana National Parks". Guide for Africa. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614Sh8tDA. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
3. ^ "Digya National Park". ABACA Tours. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614SjMy5T. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Boyefio, Gilbert; Salinas, Eva (11 April 2007). "Digya National Park, residents lives far from normal". GhanaWeb. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614SmfnBl. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
5. ^ Jachmann, Hugo (January 2008). "Monitoring law-enforcement performance in nine protected areas in Ghana". Biological Conservation (Elsevier) 141 (1): 89–99. http://www.snvworld.org/en/countries/ghana/rc/Documents/4.Monitoring%20law-enforcement%20performance%20in%20nine%20protected%20Areas%20in%20Ghana%20.pdf. Retrieved 19 August 2011. "Previous studies showed that the amount of illegal activity predominantly depends on resource allocation for law enforcement, in terms of staff density, patrol effort and fund- ing (Leader-Williams and Albon, 1988; Leader-Williams et al., 1990; Dublin and Jachmann, 1992; Jachmann and Billiouw, 1997; Jachmann, 1998, 2002)...Early 2005, the same system was established in Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve and in Digya National Park (Fig. 1)." 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Ghana National Parks". Palace Travel. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614Sw6lTZ. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
7. ^ Kumordzi, Bright B.; Oduro, William; Oppong, Samuel K.; Danquah, Emmanuel; Lister, Adrian; Sam, Moses K. (2008). "An elephant survey in Digya National Park, Ghana, and implications for conservation and management". Pachyderm. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/614SzTgaD. Retrieved 19 August 2011.