Samuel Agbewoode
30 June 2008
Nkwanta — The Kyabobo National Park, in the Nkwanta District of the Volta Region, abounds in tourism potentials, which needed to be developed, for the mutual benefit of the people, as revenue generated will go a long way to enhance the living standards of the people.
The park, which is two-hundred and twenty square kilometers, has a high level of diverse species of fauna and wildlife, including elephants, leopards, buffalo, waterbuck and several primate species.
According to statistics made available to Volta File, preliminary surveys identified two hundred and thirty-five bird species, as well as five hundred butterfly species, in the park.
The Park Manager, Mr. Luri Kanton, who was speaking in an interview at Nkwanta, said the national park was a remarkably a rich preserve, which shared a common boundary with the Fazao National Park in Togo, was located in a rugged terrain of steep hills, some of which were over eight hundred metres high, which he noted, offered beautiful scenery and spectacular views.
He explained that both parks, formed a larger ecosystem of great significance in the Africa sub-region, noting that it would take more than three days for a tourist to explore the park, see the Laboum Waterfall, rivers and over thirteen communities around the park.
Mr. Kanton mentioned some of the activities a tourist could enjoy as hiking, particularly on one of the mountains popularly called the Breast Mountain, and explained that it was named so because it resembled of the breast of a woman.
He pointed out that there were hotels and guesthouses at Nkwanta, and other communities, fully equipped with baths and toilets, as well as campsites, where tourists could settle, and spend few days touring the park, with the assistance of a guide.
The Park Manager used the opportunity to commend the Royal Netherlands government, for six years of support given to the management of the park, which would come to an end by the end of June this year, and has contributed to the current level of development of the park.
Mr. Kanton further explained that now that the sponsors of the project were withdrawing, the management would find it extremely difficult, as the only source of funding, would be the income generated from guide fees collected.
Another development activity, the Park Manager disclosed, was the promotion of community-based tourism, a development that would ensure that communities participate, and pay some fees, to visit some adventurous areas, as well as animals in the park.
The Personnel Manager of the Fazao National Park in Togo, Mr. Goncalves Apollinaire, lauded the efforts of the management of the Kyabobo National Park, and said it was growing at a fast rate, which should be sustained for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
He disclosed that the Fazao National Park, established in 1919, has 192,000 kilometers of land area, and was the only national park of the country, with a similar vegetation cover like that of Kyabobo, and has served as a major tourist site over the years.
The Fazao National Park Personnel Manager, however, pointed out that the only difference he had observed between the two parks was the fencing of the Kyabobo National Park, which he noted was not good, because that method restricted the movement, and freedom of animals in the park.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
