Bia is a national park in the Western Region of Ghana. It is also a biosphere reserve with a 563 square kilometer resource reserve.
It has some of Ghana’s last remnants of relatively untouched forest complete with its full diversity of wildlife. Some of the tallest trees left in West Africa are found in this national park.
Geography
Bia national park is located near the Ivorian border, the Bia River, and its tributaries, which flow into the Côte d’Ivoire drainage area. It is found in the transitional zone between moist-evergreen and moist semi-deciduous forest types.
Access to the park from Kumasi is through Bibiani, Sefwi Wiawso to Sefwi Asempanaye or Goaso through Sankore to Sefwi Asempanaye.
From Sunyani it can be reached through Brekum, Wanfi, Adabokrom and Debiso. From Côte d’Ivoire the park can be reached through Osei Kojokrom and Debiso.
History
Bia was created in 1935 and named after the Bia River which drains the area. It became an official national park in 1974. Intensive farming destroyed much of the original vegetation in the park.
However, since 1975, no human activities like farming or logging have taken place. In 1985 the park was named a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Wildlife
There are 62 species of mammals (including 10 primate species) known to live in the park, and over 160 species of birds, including the endangered white-breasted guinea fowl.
The park is also the only known home of the newly discovered species of lizard, Agama sylvanus. Ghana’s major protected forest antelope communities also live in the park.
