Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Located in Sierra Leone’s Southern Province, surrounded by the River Moa, Tiwai Island has been named as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The Island is located in the thick Gola Forest and has one of the highest concentration of primates in the world and more like the pygmy hippopotamus, African Forest Elephant and Red Colobus Monkey.
The island also holds 113 endemic plant species, 55 mammals and 448 bird species including the endangered white-necked Rockfowl. The Island is also natural habitat for the White-bellied Pangolin and several species of butterflies and dragonflies.
The island covers an area about 1,200 hectares and is considered as one of the largest inland islands in West Africa.
The complex was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the Sierra Leone Government in 1985.
The island is part of Sierra Leone’s Gola Forest Reserve and is being ran by local communities under the supervision of the government with support from the Environment Foundation for Africa (EFA).
Tourists who visit the island lodge in eco-lodges and often explore the complex with forest guides on land or by canoe. The island is also popular for birdwatching, research and wildlife photography.
The island is often used as a model for community-led conservation in West Africa.
For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone Follow Africa-Press
