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Conservation Projects In Gambia – Conservation Of Land & Aquatic Mammals In Gambia

Land & Aquatic Mammals of Niumi Park In Gambia

The mammalian fauna of Niumi National Park is relatively rich and is influenced heavily by the fairly undistributed habitats of parts of the park, such as southern Jinack.

Large mammals such as Bushbuck Tragelaphus.s scriptus, Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus, Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta, and Leopard Panthera pardus, are known to occur, though none of them in high numbers.

Primates are still fairly well established; especially Callithrix Monkeys Cercopithecus sabaeus, Patas monkeys’ C. patas and Senegal Galagos Galago senegalensis, Guinea Baboons Papio papio and Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius temmincki are also found but in much lower numbers.

Aquatic mammals probably fare much better that those tied to the land, as Niumi National Park contains a range of good quality aquatic habitats.

Both West African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis, and African clawless Otter Aonyx capensis, are known to occur in the bolons, though probably in low numbers.

Atlantic Hump-backed Dolphin Sousa teuzil, are frequently sighted off the coast of Jinack island, often close inshore, and appear to use this waterway to move between the River Gambia and the Parc National du Delta du Saloum