Yankari National Park is one of Nigeria’s major tourist attractions. It is not just the biggest park in the country; it is one of the finest in the continent.
Location and How to Get to This Specific Site
The park is situated 225 km east of Jos. The park is best approached from Bauchi city. A bus ride will take five hours.
What to See There
There are lots of baboons in the park. There are also bushbucks, waterbucks and plenty of buffalos. There are more than 500 elephants in the area. Different types of birds proliferate, so bird watchers will not be disappointed.There will be always something exciting to see.
There are 350 bird species in the park. Of these, 150 are resident and the others sre migrants. Some of the birds you will see are the Cattle Egret, Grey hornbill and Guinea fowl.
The park has over fifty different types of mammals. Among them are the hippopotamus, lion, Western Hartebeest, Roan Antelope, Tantalus Monkey and Patas Monkey.
History
The area around the park has not been inhabited for over a hundred years. However, the park itself shows signs of habitation in earlier times. The pilot game reserve was established in 1934 by the Northern Regional Committee. In 1956, the Game Preservation Area was created. The park was first opened to the public on December 1, 1962.
Cost
The admission fee is N300. To use a camera, you’ll have to pay an extra amount. The safari truck costs N300.
Other Info
The park is also famous for its warm water springs. The spring known as Wikki Warm is the biggest. It is 2 m deep and 13 m wide. 21,000,000 liters of water flow from it into the Gaji River. The other springs are the Nawulgo, Gwan and Dimmil springs. The Tungan Naliki is the only spring that is not warm.
First time visitors to Yankari National Park should visit Wikki Camp. It is the tourist center. The center has ten chalets, a restaurant and a bar. The safari leaves from the camp twice a day.
