Tiwai Island

Infobox Protected area
name = Tiwai Island
iucn_category = IV


caption = Location of "Tiwai Island" in Sierra Leone
base_width =
locator_x = 210
locator_y = 253
location = Southern Province Sierra Leone
nearest_city = Kenema
lat_degrees=7 |lat_minutes=32 |lat_seconds=59 |lat_direction=N
long_degrees=11 |long_minutes=19 |long_seconds=0 |long_direction=W
area = 1,200 hectares (12 km²)
established = 1 January 1987
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Environmental Foundation for Africa
world_heritage_site =

Tiwai Island (Mende for 'Big Island') is a wildlife sanctuary and tourist site in Sierra Leone. Run by the non-governmental organization Environmental Foundation for Africa, Tiwai is a 12 km in area and located on the Moa River in the Southern Province. It is also one the largest inland islands in the country.

History

Tiwai belong to the Barri people until the late 19th century when Queen Nyarroh the Barri Chief gave half the Island to the Koya Chief whose territory was on the opposite side of the River Moa River where the Island is located. From then on both peoples share ownership of the Island. [ [http://www.visitsierraleone.org/tiwai.asp Tiwai Island Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary] VisitSierraLeone.org (2007), retrieved on 10 November 2007] In the late 1970s the Island was recognised as a special biosphere for wildlife conservation. The Barri and Koya people then requested that it became a wildlife sanctuary and in 1987 it was official designated a game reserve. [ [http://www.efasl.org.uk/tiwai/tiwai.htm "Explore the rainforest"] , Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, retrieved on 10 November 2007] Activities including community conservation program, ecological research, wildlife management, tourism and forestry management training took place on the Island. Then, in 1991 civil war broke out in Sierra Leone financial support for the Tiwai was stopped and researchers and tourists were unable to reach the Island. [ [http://web.conservation.org/ImageCache/frontlines/content/downloads/ci_5ffl_5f6_5f3_5f06_2epdf/v1/ci_5ffl_5f6_5f3_5f06.pdf ""] , UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, retrieved on 07 November 2007] After the end of the civil war researchers and then tourists returned to the Island. [ [http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/sites/pa/0708p.htm "Helping a Nation Heal the Wounds of Civil Conflict"] , Conservation International:Conservation Frontlines (2006), retrieved on 07 November 2007]

Geography

Tiwai Island is located in the Southern Province, 15 km from the town of Potoru on the Moa River 60 km from the Atlantic Ocean. The Island has area of 1,200 hectares (12 km²) and is between 80 and 100 meters above sea level. The climate on the Island is tropical with a rainy season between May and October and a dry season between December and March. The average temperature is 27°C and rainfall is about 3,000 mm a year. [ [http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/sites/pa/0708p.htm "World Database on Protected Areas"] , UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, retrieved on 07 November 2007]

Biology

The Island is home to a population of pygmy hippopotamus, over 135 different species of birds and "one of the highest concentration and diversity of primates in the world … 11 species." [ [http://www.efasl.org.uk/tiwai/wildlife.htm "Wildlife"] , Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, retrieved on 07 November 2007]

References

* [http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=10741&level=nat "World Database on Protected Areas: Site Sheet"] , UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, retrieved on 07 November 2007