Sierra Leone

West Africa’s wildlife can sometimes feel inaccessible, but Sierra Leone provides a spectacular opportunity to view many of the region’s most charismatic creatures. Named for the Lion Mountains that loom over the capital city, Freetown, this nation’s small size belies an incredible diversity of habitats, from savannahs and coastal wetlands to the majestic Upper Guinea rainforests. Amongst more than 600 bird species and over 200 mammals are some of the most sought-after and enigmatic animals on the continent, from the prehistoric-looking White-necked Rockfowl to the elusive Pygmy Hippopotamus. Many of these can be seen more reliably here than anywhere else in Africa.

Sierra Leone’s modern extent dates back to 1808, when a British colony was founded to resettle returning Africans following the abolition of the slave trade. Bunce Island, with its ruined slave fort, provides a grim reminder of the region’s dark history, while coastal wildlife in the area includes Pink-backed Pelican, Sacred Ibis, Royal and Sandwich Terns, and a wide variety of other waterbirds. It is inland, however, where Sierra Leone’s greatest refuges for nature can be found.

Although Sierra Leone has a variety of habitats, it is its rainforest reserves that are perhaps most notable. Particularly remarkable is Gola National Park, which at 750 square kilometres represents the largest surviving tract of endemic-rich Upper Guinea Forest. Administered by the RSPB in partnership with the Sierra Leone government, it is one of West Africa’s best preserved wildlife refuges, and home to over 300 species of bird, 155 mammals and approximately 2,000 higher plants. Amongst the most sought-after animals here is the bizarre White-necked Rockfowl (or Yellow-headed Picathartes), one of the world’s strangest birds. These enigmatic, crow-sized creatures would be almost impossible to find, were it not for their habit of nesting and roosting on the undersides of massive boulders deep within the jungle. Also present are numerous other charismatic West African forest birds, such as Gola Malimbe, Long-tailed Hawk, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Rufous Fishing Owl and the elusive White-breasted Guineafowl.

The mammal life in Gola is no less extraordinary, with primates being especially diverse; diurnal species include Diana Monkey, Western Pied Colobus and Campbell’s Monkey, while darkness sees the emergence of Thomas’s Galago and West African Potto, along with other nocturnal mammals like Lord Derby’s Anomalure, Hammer-headed Bat and Western Tree Hyrax. Three of Africa’s four pangolin species are also found here, although only White-bellied is encountered at all regularly. Another rare mammal for which Gola is famous is the Pygmy Hippopotamus, a species which, unlike its more familiar cousin, is found only in the rainforests of West Africa. Gola protects one of the largest remaining populations of this shy and retiring creature; sightings are hard to come by, but signs of their presence are everywhere.

Another nearby site where Pygmy Hippo survives is Tiwai, a large forest-clad island in the mighty Moa River. At only 12 square kilometres, Tiwai Island might be vastly smaller than Gola, but it still teems with life, much of it easier to see than anywhere else in the country. White-bellied Pangolin is also occasionally seen here, alongside Common Cusimanse (a forest mongoose), African Clawless Otter, African Palm Civet, Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey, Chimpanzee and Striped Ground Squirrel. The waterways can be fantastically productive for Egyptian Plover, African Darter, Rufous and Pel’s Fishing Owls, and African Fish Eagle, while the deeper recess of the forest reveals special birds like African Pitta, Black Bee-eater, Olive Ibis and White-breasted Guineafowl.

Travelling north, beyond the rainforests and towards the town of Makeni, the rural roadsides abound with special birds including several bee-eater species and the extravagant Togo Paradise Whydah, while birds of prey such as Grasshopper and Red-necked Buzzards often soar overhead. Makeni provides access to a range of grassland and forest habitats which support localised and sought-after endemics such as Turati’s Boubou, Emerald Starling and Black-headed Rufous Warbler.

The nearby Bumbana Falls area is amongst the best-studied in all of Sierra Leone, largely because of in-depth environmental assessments conducted in preparation for the construction of the country’s first hydroelectric dam. Despite this massive infrastructure project, Bumbana retains an astonishing diversity of wildlife, with over 440 species of butterfly and 250 birds, including the threatened Sierra Leone Prinia, Yellow-casqued Hornbill and Copper-tailed Starling. Mammals, too, are well represented, with forest species like Maxwell’s Duiker, Royal Antelope (the world’s smallest) and Chimpanzee mixing with species that prefer more open habitats. Bongo and Pygmy Hippopotamus are also known to be present, although they are vanishingly elusive.

In the far north of the country, on the border with Guinea, lies Sierra Leone’s oldest national park, Outamba-Kilimi, named for the towering Mount Outamba and the Kilimi River. Covering over 1,000 square kilometres, the reserve received national park status in 1995, largely on the basis of its significant Chimpanzee population. The Outamba section of the park contains a rich variety of habitats, from Raffia swamps and riverine grassland to woodland and closed canopy forest. It is a wonderful place to explore on foot and by dugout canoe, in search of mammals such as African Savannah Elephant, Waterbuck, Hippopotamus, Western Red Colobus and Chimpanzee, which exhibits tool-making behaviour here that is unknown from other parts of Africa. The local avifauna includes Rock Pratincole, Red-chested Cuckoo, Double-spurred Spurfowl and the spectacular Great Blue Turaco. At dusk, Freckled and Pennant-winged Nightjars often appear, while West African Crocodile can be found amongst numerous reptiles. Despite the park’s abundant wildlife, it is rare to see other tourists, although many members of the local Susu tribe do still work and live sustainably within the protected area.