Akure Ofosu Forest Reserve
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| Akure Ofosu Forest Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  Map of Nigeria | |
| Location | Ondo State, Nigeria |
| Nearest city | Akure |
| Coordinates | 6°57′47″N 5°21′14″E / 6.963°N 5.354°E[1] |
| Area | 394 km2 (152 sq mi) |
The Akure Forest Reserve is situated in Ondo State, Nigeria's Akure South Local Government Area, a tropical rainforest. It has a total area of approximately 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres)[a] and it is located between latitudes 7°16' and 7°18' N and longitudes 5°9' and 5°11' E.[4]
Akure Ofosu is of great importance for the conservation of the chimpanzee population in Nigeria. Research conducted during 2007 found 33 nests at four locations, without direct vision.[5]
Established in 1936 and comprising some 400 square kilometers (154 square miles), Akure-Ofosu Forest Reserve also borders the Ala, Owo, and Ohosu altogether forming one of the largest areas of forest reserve in Nigeria. The forests contained within, are home to many different species, including threatened primates. Red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus), Nigerian white-throated guenons (Cercopithecus erythrogaster pococki), putty-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus nictitans), mona monkeys (Cercopithecus mona), and others can all be found in what remains of Akure-Ofosu's forests.[6]
Southwest Nigeria and the Niger Delta are priority areas for chimpanzee surveys, according to the Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Chimpanzees in West Africa.[7] The discussions from a workshop on the conservation of West African chimpanzees conducted in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in September 2002 served as the foundation for that regional plan. Chimpanzee populations in western Nigeria were poorly understood, considered to be seriously threatened, and in need of a conservation strategy.
