Monte Alén National Park ( es, Parque nacional de Monte Alén) is located near the center of Equatorial Guinea. It was established in 1990. With an area of , it is the country's largest national park. The

goliath frog The goliath frog (''Conraua goliath''), otherwise known commonly as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. The goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can grow up to in lengt ...

''(Conraua goliath)'', one of the prominent amphibians found in the park, is the biggest frog in the world; hunting it is prohibited.

Geography

The park has an area of and lies within the elevation range of . It was declared a national park under a presidential decree in 2000 in addition to 13 other areas. The highest mountain peaks of Monte Alen and Monte Mitra (the source of the major rivers in the area) lie within the limits of the park. Uoro River lies to the west of the park. The eastern part of the park is bounded by the Niefang-Gabon road. There are a few patches of rock outcrops. Lake Atoc has forest cover in its entire catchment. Trekking paths are well laid out in the park. Logging operation within the park is fully controlled. The climate is hot humid equatorial, with an average temperature of about in the lowland area and in the highlands. The mean annual rainfall is between .

Fauna

The park has recorded 265 species of birds. Some of the prominent species include three montane species, '' Coracina caesia,'' '' Dryoscopus angolensis'' and '' Phylloscopus herberti''; '' Phylloscopus budongoensis'', the only

warblers Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers The ...

species found in the park; '' Picathartes oreas''; '' Melignomon zenkeri''; ''

Muscicapa tessmanni Tessmann's flycatcher (''Muscicapa tessmanni'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in central and western Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical m ...

'' and '' Batis minima''; possibly '' Apus sladeniae.'' The park has 105 mammal species which includes 16 species of primates. Some of the primate species recorded are '' Colobus satanas'', ''

Cercocebus torquatus The collared mangabey (''Cercocebus torquatus''), also called red-capped mangabey and white-collared mangabey is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae of Old World monkeys. It formerly included the sooty mangabey as a subspecies. ...

,'' mandrills (''

Mandrillus sphinx The mandrill (''Mandrillus sphinx'') is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males ...

''),

gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...

s (''

Gorilla gorilla The western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') is a great ape found in Africa, one of two species of the hominid genus ''Gorilla''. Large and robust with males weighing around , the hair is significantly lighter in color than the eastern gorilla, '' ...

'') and chimpanzees (''

Pan troglodytes The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

''). Other mammal species include elephants (bush elephants, '' Loxodonta africana'', and forest elephants, '' Loxodonta cyclotis''), and shrews ('' Crocidura grassei''). Sixty-five species of reptiles are reported, including crocodiles. Amphibians reported include ''

Petropedetes palmipes ''Petropedetes palmipes'' is a species of frog in the family Petropedetidae. It is known from a few localities in southwestern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and western Gabon. Common name Efulen water frog has been coined for it. Description Adul ...

'' and '' Leptodactylodon stevarti'' which are in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

Goliath frog The goliath frog (''Conraua goliath''), otherwise known commonly as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. The goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can grow up to in lengt ...

s (''Conraura goliath'') are found in the southern part of the park.

Conservation

In 1989, conservation of the forest area of the park was zoned for purpose of awarding concessions for logging, and agroforestry activities were encouraged. A study conducted under

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

observed that hunting of mammals in the park was a serious issue which needed urgent remedial conservation action. By 2005, Caldecott reported that agriculture, hunting, and logging were not allowed in the park.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monte Alen National Park National parks of Equatorial Guinea Protected areas established in 1990