Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve


The 'Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, whose site is historically known as Majang, is situated on the Mambilla Plateau in SE Nigeria, covering 46 km2. It can be reached on foot from Yelwa
village past the Mayo Jigawal, from where it is less than half an hour’s walk to the upper edge of the forest. The altitude ranges from up to. Ngel Nyaki was formally gazetted a local authority Forest Reserve under Gashaka - Mambilla Native Authority Forest order of April 1969, but at present it is under the management of the Taraba State Government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, with the Nigerian Montane Forest Project as a project partner.
In November 2014 a long term monitoring vegetation plot was established in the reserve, funded by Nigerian philanthropist Theophilus Danjuma and administered by the Nigerian Montane Forest Project. The research plot is part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science global network operated through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Vegetation

The reserve contains a stand of rare dry type montane to sub-montane forest and is the only forest of its type left on the heavily populated Mambilla plateau. The forest is an isolated fragment of approximately 7.5 km2. The forest is diverse in species composition, amongst the most floristically diverse montane–submontane forest stands in Nigeria, and has many tall emergents. Four tree species are Red Data listed, and several, such as Anthonotha noldeae are new to West Africa and others new to Nigeria. An illustrated checklist of the flora of Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve has been created.

Fauna

Ngel Nyaki is home to a population of the rare and endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes subsp. ellioti. It is estimated that the chimpanzee population in the forest comprises a single interbreeding community of 11–13 adults.
Other primates including putty-nosed monkey, mona monkey and tantalus monkey also inhabit the forest. Birds such as turacos, the Cameroon olive-pigeon, double-toothed barbet and green bulbul are common.
Freshwater crayfish belonging to the genus Astacopsis are abundant in the forested streams.
Ngel Nyaki has been classified as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. Species of interest include the IUCN vulnerable Bannerman's weaver and the near threatened Crossley's ground-thrush. 158 bird species were recorded on the Mambilla Plateau between 13 November – 22 December 2003 by Tony Disley, many of them were within Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve.