Introduction
Kiang West National ParkTanji/Karinti Bird ReserveBao Bolon Wetland Reserve
Abuko Nature ReserveRiver Gambia National ParkNiumi National Park


Protected Areas in The Gambia
BAO BOLON WETLAND RESERVE

General Information
Bao Bolon is located on the North Bank of The Gambia River opposite the Kiang West National Park. It consists of six major bolons between Salikeni and Katchang. Together these bolons form a vast wetland complex of international importance. Bao Bolon does not have the characteristics of a river any more. It is a valley which stretches over a length of more than 140km from the border south of Ferlo towards the river Gambia. The valley crosses the Senegalese territory at Marlene and penetrates The Gambian territory through Illiassa. The tidal flats have been the subject of low cost communal dyking schemes for fresh water retention and rice production.

The area has been nominated for designation as a Ramsar (The International Convention on Wetlands) site. A detailed environmental, ecological and socio-economic survey of the reserve is underway, with a view to preparing a sound management plan for the area in order to optimise the amount and quality of wetland habitat available to waterbirds and other wetland dependent species. The proposed area is approximately 20,000 ha. The significance of Bao Balon lies in the fact that three distinct ecosystems - mangrove forest, salt marsh and savannah woodland - all occur in very close proximity at several locations. Bao Bolon's mangrove ecosystem provides an important fish breeding ground and its tributaries are important source of fish. Local communities also obtain fencing and roofing materials from the area.

Areas of Interest
Bao Bolon contains four main ecosystems - estuary, woodland-savannah, salt-marsh and mangrove forest. The Bao Bolon is a braided river system which extends north into Senegal, and in The Gambia forms a network of waterways and marshes interspersed with dry woodland savannah on higher ground. The flow of the Bao Bolon is now only concentrated in the rainy season and the resulting saline intrusion allows the mangrove to extend far up the bolons. At this point in the River Gambia, mangrove forests reach heights of up to 12m due to the lower osmotic pressure exerted by the lower salinity levels than occur towards the river mouth at Banjul. To the north of the reserve, the marshes are dominated by large stands of the reed Phragmites karka. The best way to explore the reserve is from the River Gambia by boat, and to wind slowly up the bolons through the mangrove until the surrounding land rises and the mangrove gives way to a mosaic of marsh, salt-flats and dry woodland. The drier areas can then be accessed by foot. On the journey up through the bolons, you may see crocodile basking on the muddy banks or the slide-marks from where they re-enter the water. Clawless otters occur throughout the reserve and can prove quite inquisitive when encountered. Further upstream, warthog, hyena and jackal may be seen in the drier areas. Access by road is available from Konti Kunda Niji where a laterite track leads south along the base of the escarpment to the west of the bolon. From the escarpment edge excellent views are to be had and it is a good location from which to scan for wildlife. Other access points by road include Katchang to the east, Njaba Kunda to the north and Salikene to the west.

Avi-fauna
Bao Bolon provides a refuge for a number of The Gambia's rarer birds. Within the mangrove forest, Pels fishing owl can occasionally be encountered roosting silently while brown-necked parrots chatter noisily through the canopy. The African fish eagle and osprey both fish in the River Gambia and the network of bolons. The cry of the former is characteristic of the area. Finfoots have been recorded quite frequently and the white-backed night heron is resident if somewhat elusive. The tidally flooded marshes and pans are frequented by a variety of herons, ibis, waders and waterfowl, with numbers seasonally augmented by European and African migrants. The reed-beds on the upper bolon are used for roosting by mixed flocks of passerine birds, as well as providing feeding and breeding habitat for various waterbirds.

Fauna
Wetlands also form the major habitat for a number of our rarer mammals, including hippopotamus, manatee, clawless otter and sitatunga as well as reptiles such as the Nile and dwarf crocodiles, various chelonians and snakes.


Introduction
Kiang West National ParkTanji/Karinti Bird ReserveBao Bolon Wetland Reserve
Abuko Nature ReserveRiver Gambia National ParkNiumi National Park