Old Oyo National Park: Where species found better status than ‘endangered’

Located across Oyo north and Southern Kwara, occupying beyond 2.512 square kilometer is the Old Oyo National Park. It is a sanctuary where species have found a better status than being referred to as endangered.

The park is located at latitude 8° 15’ and 9° 00’N and longitude 3° 35’ and 4° 42’ E. The location has inevitably placed the park at a vantage position of abundance land area as well as diverse wildlife and cultural/historical settings.

The historic park is ringed by a total of 10 Local Government Areas in Oyo State and one in Kwara State.

With Administrative Head Office located in Oyo, Isokun area along Oyo-Iseyin road, necessary information and booking could be made at the office.

The landscaping and organized space within the large yard has made the facility very endearing to the public. It is rich in plant and animal resources including buffaloes, bushbuck and a variety of birds. The park is easily accessible from southwestern and northwestern Nigeria.

Nearest cities and towns adjoining Old Oyo National Park include Saki, Iseyin, Sepeteri, Tede and Igbeti which have their own commercial and cultural attractions for tourism.

The park takes its name from Oyo-lle (Old Oyo), the ancient political capital of Oyo Empire of the Yoruba people, and contains the ruins of this city that was destroyed in the late 18th century.

The national park originated in two earlier native administrative forest reserves, Upper Ogun established in 1936 and Oyo-lle established in 1941. These were converted to game reserves in 1952, then combined and upgraded to the present status of a national park.

The park is predominantly made up of lowland plains at a height of 330m and 508m above sea level. The southern part is drained by the Owu, Owe and Ogun Rivers, while the northern sector is drained by the Tessi River.

Outcrops of granite are typical of the north eastern zone of the park, including at Oyo-lle, with caves and rock shelters in the extreme north.

The central part of the park has scattered hills, ridges and rock outcrops that are suitable for mountaineering.

The Ikere Gorge Dam on the Ogun river provides water recreation facilities for tourists.

The Old Oyo National Park was previously habitat for the endangered West African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus manguensis). However none now exists in the park due to hunting pressure and the expanding human population in the region.

Several species have found home in this vast reserved park and with a sustained administration, endangered species that have traced this home would bounce back to nature and earn a better status than ‘endangered.’