Okomu National Park is one of seven national parks in Nigeria. The other six include the Kainji Lake, Chad Basin, Cross River, Gashaka Gumti, Kamuku and Old Oyo National Parks. Okmou National Park is located in 45km west of Benin City. It covers an area of about 19,712 hectares, making it the smallest of the seven.
We arrived the park office and met with a few members of Staff who said we would need about four hours to get to the park itself and drive around. They advised that it was better to plan an overnight trip rather than a day trip.
Next, we were shown the animal orphanage, a micro zoo with a few crocodiles and two ‘white-throated’ monkeys, also rescued from the forests.
Lastly, we visited the museum which contained fossils of animals that can be found within the park, (all died naturally). There were fossils of elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and so on. We were told that the park still has a number of these animals roaming freely, although they have to contend with poachers on many occasions.
I am planning to revisit later in the year and stay for a night or two in the tourist camp. I hear that the park offers activities such as wildlife viewing, bird watching, a canopy walk and fishing on rivers Okomu and Osse.
I am really looking forward to going back. If you’re interested in joining me, please let me know and if you plan to go on your own, remember to place a reservation in advance. Accommodation and four wheel drives are limited, so you’ll need to confirm before going.
