Introduction:
 Pirang
Forest National Park (Pirang Bonto Eco-tourism Community
Project) lies to the south east of Banjul Airport
(coordinates: 13° 15' 38" N - 16° 32' 8"
W) and north east of the village of Pirang (population:
2,500) and is easily accessed from the southern highway.
It is a small isolated forest of about 64ha in extent,
surrounded by a variety of habitats including extensive
salt flats, mangroves and Phragmites parkia stands
to the north, vegetable gardens to the west, agricultural
land to the east and south and a small community of
people in the south east (Emms and Barnett 2004). Even
in the middle of the day the high gallery forest remains
relatively cool and peaceful. It is protected by the
local community as a preserve for the practice of traditional
community ceremonies and rites. Most of the shrubs and
many trees are used in traditional medicine as local
knowledge in the village about herbal remedies goes
back many years.
Pirang Bonto Forest is the best and most impressive
example of gallery forest in The Gambia. The combination
of well-preserved forest and a wide range of habitats
nearby means that bird species can be seen. This includes
many forest specialists with limited distributions including
white-spotted flufftail, African wood owl (see picture
1 below), western little sparrowhawk, great sparrowhawk,
ahanta francolin, green turaco, yellowbill, buff-spotted
woodpecker, red-shouldered cuckoo shrike, little greenbul,
swamp palm greenbul, leaflove, grey-headed bristlebill,
yellow-breasted apalis, yellow-bellied hyliota, green
hylia, collared sunbird, green-headed sunbird, chestnut-breasted
negrofinch, western bluebill and brown-necked parrot
(Emms and Barnett 2004). It is also the only site in
The Gambia for Puvel’s illadopsis.
Picture 1: African wood owl
(courtesy of Guy Broome)
Many other less restricted species occur and it is one
of the best places to get good views of African Pied
Hornbill (see picture 2). It is also close to Pirang
shrimp farm, home to a wide range of waterbirds including
Black-crowned crane.
Picture 2: African pied hornbill
(courtesy of Guy Broome)
The forest and forest edge are one of the 2 best sites
for butterflies in The Gambia (with Abuko) with 84 species
recorded including the large and impressive bostin blue
(large numbers in Nov-Dec) which can be found nowhere
else in The Gambia (see picture 3).
Picture 3: Blue bostin (also called widespread forester)
- courtesy of Guy Broome)
The mammal fauna is very rich; however, they can be
hard to see as a result of persecution. Increased protection
by the communities and a recent injunction against a
local hunter should lead to the recovery of populations
of many species. 3 species of monkey are known to occur,
with green, patas (picture 4) and the critically endangered
Temminck’s red colobus all present, albeit in small
numbers.
Picture 4: Patas monkeys drinking
in Pirang Bonto forest
(courtesy of University of Cumbria)
Several small carnivores are known to occur (largely
from camera-traps) including Gambian mongoose (often
visible foraging in groups in the daytime) as well as
white-tailed, ichneumon and marsh mongooses. Hausa (picture
5) and pardine genets hunt at night as does African
civet, and the forest is one of only 3 in The Gambia
that has two-spotted palm civet. Small numbers of Bushbuck
are present but these can be hard to see and cape clawless
otters are present in the mangroves. Sun squirrels are
common throughout and easy to see.
Picture 5: Hausa genet
(courtesy of University of Cumbria)
Reptiles are varied and often impressive and include
forest cobra, rock python, green mamba and Senegal chameleon.
There is also talk of re-introducing west African dwarf
crocodile in coming years.
The forest is criss-crossed by trails and two new waterholes
should help visitors to see some of the shyer species
in the forest.
Travel Information:
Visiting Pirang Bonto will encourage the efforts of
the local villages to preserve and improve this largest
remnant of native forest in The Gambia. To learn more
about these activities and for expert guidance from
the forest’s best friend, contact Kawsu on (220)9887198
or (220)2076134.
The forest can be reached in less than 1 hour from the
coastal resorts of Kololi and Kotu.
Accommodation:
Nearest:
Mandina
Lodge
(Luxury eco-lodge)
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