In southeastern Liberia, Sapo National Park is the country's largest protected tropical forest at 1,804 km2 and a crucial stronghold of biodiversity in West Africa. Despite a turbulent history marred by illicit mining, commercial-scale wildlife hunting, and disputes between local communities and park management, Sapo National Park remains an invaluable sanctuary for diverse species.
The park's topography is predominantly flat, characterized by undulating and low-lying terrain, with altitudes between 100 and 600 meters. The landscape primarily consists of undisturbed evergreen wet lowland forests, swampy areas, dryland forests, and riparian forests in the southern regions. The Upper Guinean Forest is inadequately protected throughout West Africa, and forest blocks the size of Sapo National Park are scarce, giving the park global significance.
Sapo National Park is a regional center of endemism and a biodiversity hotspot. It is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife 2001) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Despite high levels of historical pressure, the park is home to notable mammal populations, including some of the most significant populations of the West African chimpanzee, pygmy hippopotamus, Gola malimbe, Jentink's duiker, red colobus monkeys, and forest elephants.
The park is an area of high plant diversity, with more than 500 vascular plants and more than 300+ woody tree species. However, comprehensive surveys of the park's flora have yet to be undertaken, and there is much to be learned about the faunal composition of the reserve. In 2010, a 10ten-day botanical collection identified 353 higher-level plant species, of which 78 were endemic to the Upper Guinean Forest, and six were new to science.
Historically, Sapo National Park has faced significant threats from the encroachment of farmed land, bushmeat hunting, and illegal alluvial mining. In 2010, there were over 18,000 people illegally occupying the park. These mining camps were removed in 2018; however, artisanal mining continues around the park. Historic encroachment into the park facilitated commercial-scale bushmeat hunting and wild meat remains a key protein source for personal consumption or sale. The extent and impact of wild meat consumption in the landscape needs clarity. Finally, surrounding Sapo National Park, slash-and-burn agriculture is expanding in response to increasing populations and smaller farmsteads following the fragmentation of ancestral lands. There is a strong need for research into sustainable farming practices with large-scale regional relevance.
A comprehensive overview of Sapo National Park and research opportunities within the landscape is available to download at the top of this page
Sapo National Park is a regional center of endemism and a biodiversity hotspot. It is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife 2001) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Despite high levels of historical pressure, the park is home to notable mammal populations, including some of the most significant populations of the West African chimpanzee, pygmy hippopotamus, Gola malimbe, Jentink's duiker, red colobus monkeys, and forest elephants.
The park is an area of high plant diversity, with more than 500 vascular plants and more than 300+ woody tree species. However, comprehensive surveys of the park's flora have yet to be undertaken, and there is much to be learned about the faunal composition of the reserve. In 2010, a 10ten-day botanical collection identified 353 higher-level plant species, of which 78 were endemic to the Upper Guinean Forest, and six were new to science.
Historically, Sapo National Park has faced significant threats from the encroachment of farmed land, bushmeat hunting, and illegal alluvial mining. In 2010, there were over 18,000 people illegally occupying the park. These mining camps were removed in 2018; however, artisanal mining continues around the park. Historic encroachment into the park facilitated commercial-scale bushmeat hunting and wild meat remains a key protein source for personal consumption or sale. The extent and impact of wild meat consumption in the landscape needs clarity. Finally, surrounding Sapo National Park, slash-and-burn agriculture is expanding in response to increasing populations and smaller farmsteads following the fragmentation of ancestral lands. There is a strong need for research into sustainable farming practices with large-scale regional relevance.
A comprehensive overview of Sapo National Park and research opportunities within the landscape is available to download at the top of this page
Local Partners
Fauna & Flora took a lead role in the development and revision of the Sapo National Park management plan. FFI works alongside the FDA to improve the park’s law enforcement regulations through training and ongoing mentoring.
University of Liberia co-runs a field station with Fauna & Flora and the Forestry Development Authority, providing a basis for currently limited but important scientific training and monitoring activities.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation maintains a long-term commitment to support ecotourism activities at Sapo National Park by supporting local communities, in particular women.
University of Liberia co-runs a field station with Fauna & Flora and the Forestry Development Authority, providing a basis for currently limited but important scientific training and monitoring activities.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation maintains a long-term commitment to support ecotourism activities at Sapo National Park by supporting local communities, in particular women.
Research Opportunities
As the management of this protected area moves towards inclusivity, communities reliant on the park for sustenance and economic well-being seek opportunities to engage with the park sustainably. This pivotal juncture offers a wide array of research avenues that delve into the park's ecological integrity and the interactions between humans and the environment. Below are illustrative research opportunities in the Sapo National Park landscape:
- Protected area management including:
- Benefits and challenges of restricted use and co-management models
- Biomonitoring methods in low resource landscapes
- Anti-poaching approaches
- One Health concepts in practice including:
- Human-wildlife conflicts: foundational studies into human-primate conflicts
- Development and conservation’s trade-offs and opportunities
- Wild meat, food security, dietary diversity, nutrition, and alternative protein sources
- Snake diversity and snake bite management in forest-adjacent communities
- Effects of mining chemicals on water and soil quality
- Zoonotic disease and wildlife health
- Identification and measurement of health-benefiting ecosystem services
- Commercialization of natural resources including:
- Artisanal extractive activities and enforcement
- Wildlife trade, detection and deterrence strategies
- Forestry, forest carbon, REDD+, benefit sharing
- Ecological studies
- Long-term impacts of commercial bushmeat hunting
- Foundational studies across taxa
- Botanical studies
- Population assessments and habitat utilization of rare and iconic mammals
- Community engagement
- Approaches for overcoming stakeholder conflicts in conservation
- Outreach effectiveness
- Tourism development and benefit sharing
- What works in conservation, assessments of intervention effectiveness
Stay informed
Sapo National park is a critically important landscape that supports a rich biodiversity despite the intensity of human activities within the past three decades. To stay informed about the development of our research station, research opportunities, funding announcements, teaching opportunities and exciting collaborations with local and international organisations then please email