Quicama National Park (Parque Nacional da Kissama)

Quicama National Park

 

Location: 70 km from Luanda Map

Area: 9,960 km²

www.kissama.org

 

Description of Quicama National Park

Quicama National Park is about 70 km from country's capital of Luanda and covers approximately 9,960 km² in North- west Angola. It protects an area of wetlands along with grasslands that is full of large animals. Quicama National Park was originally found as a game reserve in 1938 under Portuguese authorities with subsequent transfer to a status of a national park in 1957. After the Civil War the park is still devastated by the hostile actions in the regions. It is unclear how many buffalo, rhinos and elephants are left in the park since many of them were killed by humans. It is also unclear of level of hostility that is present among tribes dwelling in the nature reserve. It is not advisable to venture into park by yourself without guide or any representative of the local authority. The park is covered by open savanna with impressive baobab trees, dense forests as well as flood plains around Cuanza river.

 

The park is located on the coast, the northwestern border of the park is formed by the estuary of the Kwanza River. The Longa River also flows through the park, and there are several lakes in the park. The coastline is 110 km long. Height above sea level reaches 150 meters. The area of ​​the park is 9500 km², of which 28.44 km are the marine part. In the park, the amount of precipitation is 900-1500 mm per year with a rainy season that lasts three to four months, while in the southern part of the park the amount of precipitation is only 150-500 mm per year.

The park is located in the Zambezian phytogeographic region. The territory of the park includes mangrove forests in the estuary of the Kwanza River, flood meadows and palm islands on the river, marshes and sandy river banks, meadows on the plateau and woodlands in the eastern part of the park. Raffia palm grows on the islands, adansonia and acacia are characteristic of the eastern part of the park. Dense thickets of Chrysobalanus, Drepanocarpus, Dalbergia, Leguncularia and hibiscus grow along the river. In the lower reaches of the Kwanza River, thickets of richness prevail, along the coast you can find cattails, barnacles and reeds. The dominant species in the southern part are acacia, sterculia, adansonia and commiphora, in the rest of the territory - Brachestegia and Julbernadia.

The fauna of the park is represented by 44 species of mammals, 66 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians. The park is home to such mammals as the African manatee (in the lower reaches of the river), the hyena dog, the cheetah (a rare species) and the lion. In the early 1970s, a large colony of the bush elephant lived in the park. In addition, sea turtles nest on the coast. 186 bird species were recorded in the park, including rare species, including those with a limited range. Among the permanent inhabitants of the park are the gray-striped turach, the white-fronted gray flycatcher and the golden-backed velvet weaver, the lesser flamingo, Cape gannet and whale tern occasionally fly into the park. Laniarius brauni was recorded near the eastern border of the park. In addition, the park is home to 68 species of waterfowl characteristic of different biomes in different parts of the park, including the African rat stork, African yakana, colored snipe, long-toed lapwing, guard crocodile, saddle-billed yabiru, white-necked stork, striped fish owl , broad-mouthed kite, song flycatcher and chestnut-headed song shrike.

The park was formed in 1957. The eastern part of the park is poorly studied.

 

Geography

75 km south of Luanda, the Quiçama National Park has a total area of 9600 km². Its limits are, to the north, the Cuanza River, from its mouth to Muxima; to the south the Longa River, between its mouth and the road from Mumbondo to Capolo; to the west the coastline between the mouths of the Cuanza and Longa rivers; and to the east the road that goes from Muxima, Demba Chio, Mumbondo and Capolo to the Longa River.

The park has an establishment for visitors, a guesthouse and several bungalous.

 

History

Quiçama remained free from colonial settlement until small invasions by cattle ranchers along the coast and sugar cane planters along the Cuanza occurred in the early 20th century. The reason for the lack of colonial interest in Quiçama was simple - the lack of reliable, permanent sources of drinking water over the majority of the landscape, which in 1938 became a Game Reserve and in 1957 a National Park.

The illegal cattle ranches of Pecuária da Barra do Cuanza (PBC) pumped water from the Cuanza south to their cattle stations along the coast in Sangano and Cabo Ledo, and north from the Longa to the stations towards the Cabo São Braz. They also built earthen dams (chimpacas) on Sangano and some other intermittent streams. Inland, very small villages in Cassebo, Quindembele, Mucolo, Galinda, among others, depended on water from small ponds, intermittent streams in Pitchi, Gunza Demba and other remote locations.

For the rest, Quiçama was and continues to be essentially a desert bounded by two abundant rivers - the Cuanza and the Longa.

 

Vegetation

The vegetation varies greatly from the banks of the Cuanza River to the interior of the Park, with mangroves, dense forest, savannah, scattered trees, cacti, baobab trees and large areas of trees.

The variety of vegetation results in an abundant and varied fauna. There are African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis), red sables (Hippotragus equinus), talapoins (Miopithecus talapoin) and sea turtles. There is also a wide variety of birds.

 

Fauna

Diversity in the species that we can find in this natural park, from elephants, giraffes, bambis, fan, turtles, snakes, wildebeests, crocodiles, springboks, hippos, zebras, manatees, various birds, squirrels, monkeys, among others.

 

Legal Status

The Basic Environmental Law (Law no. 5/98 of 5 June) states that Environmental Protection Areas “are well-defined spaces and representative of biomes or ecosystems that are interested in preserving, where exploration activities are not permitted. natural resources, except for use in ecological tourism, environmental education and scientific research. Environmental protection areas can have several classifications according to their scope and objective”. The designation National Park refers to an area reserved for the conservation, protection and propagation of endogenous fauna and flora, for public benefit and leisure. The Quiçama National Park (PNQ) was initially protected as a hunting reserve by Government Decree nº. 2620 of April 16, 1938 (Official Bulletin – I Series no. 16) and was then elevated to National Park by Legislative Diploma no. 2873 of December 11, 1957 (Official Bulletin – I Series no. 50).