Fauna Sapo National Park

sapo national park contains largest pygmy hippopotamus populations in liberia.

sapo national park regional centre of endemism , biodiversity, @ 1 time hosting around 125 mammal species , 590 types of bird, including number of threatened species, such african golden cat, drill, gola malimbe, liberian mongoose, white-breasted guineafowl, , white-necked rockfowl. park home african civet, african fish eagle, african grey parrot, giant forest hog, great blue turaco, speckle-throated otter, water chevrotain, 3 species of pangolin, 7 species of monkey (including endangered diana monkey), crocodiles, leopards, bee-eaters, egrets, hornbills, kingfishers, rollers, , sunbirds.

prior formal designation of sapo national park in 1983 there had been no systematic study of chimpanzee populations in liberia . since then, various surveys have confirmed existence of common chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) in sapo national park, located in park s center , western areas, estimates of population ranging 500 1,640. culture of local sapo people includes reverence chimpanzee and, therefore, taboo against hunting.

sapo national park hosted 500 african forest elephants in 1980s.

seven species of duiker antelopes found in sapo national park, including vulnerable jentink s duiker (cephalophus jentinki) , zebra duiker (cephalophus zebra). bay duikers (cephalophus dorsalis) , maxwell s duikers (cephalophus maxwellii) reported locally abundant.

sapo national park contains populations of pygmy hippopotamus (hexaprotodon liberiensis), endangered species has legal protection in liberia under wildlife , national park act of 1988. unique west africa, wild population of pygmy hippopotamuses thought number less 3,000 individuals. according world conservation union (iucn), conservation efforts targeted @ species have historically been effective in sapo national park ... protection . according action plan published iucn species survival commission, sapo national park realistic choice of of suitable conservation area pygmy hippopotamus. in february 2008, automatic heat- , motion-sensing cameras set in sapo national park captured first photographs of pygmy hippopotamus ever taken in liberia. photographs confirmed continued presence of species inside boundaries of park; previously, scientists did not know whether pygmy hippopotamus population in park had survived civil wars , subsequent poaching , logging.

the endangered african forest elephant (loxodonta cyclotis) present in sapo national park, population estimates ranging many 500 1980s between 313 , 430

for end of decade; however, iucn considers recent surveys — both of relied on dung counts — of low quality , reliability.