Bijilo Forest Park: Gambia's ‘Monkey Park' offers wildlife sanctuary

Bijilo Forest Park, located in the West African country of Gambia, is renowned for its diverse wildlife, particularly its monkey population.

Covering 51 hectares (126 acres), the park is home to green monkeys, patas monkeys, and the rare red colobus monkeys. It also hosts over 100 bird species, various reptiles, and butterflies.

Visitors can explore the ecosystem through the park's walking trails, offering a close-up view of its rich biodiversity.

However, authorities warn that increasing urbanization and human activities are threatening the park's natural environment. To counteract these challenges, conservation projects are being developed to protect the area.

The Gambian government, along with environmental organizations, aims to sustainably harness Bijilo's ecotourism potential. As one of the country's key nature reserves, Bijilo Forest Park remains a unique destination for wildlife enthusiasts.

- 66 national parks across Gambia

Suleiman Abdullah, director of Bijilo Forest Park, emphasized its status as a publicly owned national reserve.

Managed by the Environment Ministry's Forest Department, Bijilo was designated a national park in 1952, prior to Gambia's independence from the UK.

According to Abdullah, the park remained largely unprotected until 1991, when Gambia began focusing on tourism development. That year, it was officially opened to visitors through a forestry initiative between Gambia and Germany, known as the Gambian-German Forestry Project.

"This project obviously was in The Gambia between 1980 to 2004, proposedly to support, upgrade and develop 66 national parks in The Gambia. In the whole Gambia, we have 66 national parks, including this park," Abdullah said

He noted that at the time, many of these parks had suffered extensive damage due to bushfires and uncontrolled logging. Some local residents were cutting down trees for firewood, charcoal production, and furniture making, leading to severe environmental degradation.