Ankasa Rain Forest Reserve
Almost on the border between Ghana and Ivory Coast is a large forest reserve. This park is not quite a national park but has active conservation efforts and protection much like a national park. This is in the far western part of Ghana and in the rain forest belt. It is well off the beaten track of tourism but offers a great natural experience to a visitor that makes it out there.
Not long before reaching Elubo which is the main border between Ghana and Ivory Coast on the road that goes from Accra to Abajan there is a turn off for Ankasa. Down a red dusty road you can see the taller trees in the distance before you meet the gate.
Right after entering the park you will cross a good sized river. The park is named after the Ankasa River.
Ankasa means don't talk there is a belief that if make noise while crossing the river dwarfs will get upset and take take you down river. It is also believed if you make noise in the forest it will rain, which happens very often anyway.
Ankasa is one of the few places in Ghana and much of West Africa that has been largely not disturbed by humans. There has been little logging but poaching is a big problem and the wildlife division guards here have a tough and dangerous job. They spend much of their time roughing it around the forest and sometimes getting in gunfights with poachers.
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Ankasa is a park of very high bio diversity. In a 100m squared you will find over 300 different species and animals easily if not thousands. The largest of these is the forest elephant. These guys are stealthy like thieves in the night especially considering their size, you will rarely get to see them as a casual visitor to the park. The visitors center has a few bones from elephants collected from inside the park.
When I visited in 2011 I only scratched the surface of the park. From the visitors center we walked up the road to the Expedition center and then to the Bamboo Cathedral.
We started our walk into the park on the road in the morning and we came across these foot prints in the mud and trees pulled down on the road. A pack of elephants had passed by this spot just a few hours earlier. That would have been an amazing sight.
The walk in was about a mile and half into the forest and took about 30 minutes or so. We then reached the camp for the forestry officers that live there and protect and maintain the park.
Along the way we took a detour off the road and took an education trail through the forest. Along the way the forestry guide showed us different plant species and talked about some of the inhabitants of the forest like the Roloway monkeys on the information poster in the above pictures.
At the end of the trail in our case but typically the start of the trail if looking at it from the other side is a camp for students to come and stay in the park and learn about the forest.
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In addition to to the cabins for people to stay in there is also a classroom with a tree growing up through the middle of it.
This is the compound where the guards live inside the park.
They have a little solar setup to provide for their electrical needs.
From the camp we descended into the bamboo Cathedral.
The bamboo Cathedral is a giant complex of bamboo with a small stream going through the valley. It is like being in a large arched roof cathedral.
Our guide standing next to one of the bamboo clumps.
It is always wonderful to visit a very natural space, and there is always time when you have to go home too. Thanks for taking another adventure with me.
All photos taken with a Canon Eos Digital Rebel, 2011
