EXPLORE the Hubei Shennongjia with this slideshow, check the location map and get all the facts and information below.
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Location and Values: The Gola-Tiwai Complex consists of four separate areas within the fragmented Upper Guinea Forest of West Africa. These areas lie along Sierra Leone’s eastern border with Liberia, and are (almost) contiguous with similar forested landscapes in Liberia. The Upper Guinea Forest is an important centre of endemism, occupying lowland areas of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, that has become increasingly fragmented and highly threatened by logging, settlement and hunting. The Gola-Tiwai Complex is therefore an important refuge for some of the region’s last remaining biodiversity.
The Gola-Tiwai Complex is known to harbour 1,019 species of vascular plants, 55 species of mammal and perhaps as many as 448 species of birds. All taxonomic groups include significant numbers of species endemic to the Upper Guinea Forest, including 113 plants (11% of the total) and 24 mammals (44%). Notable amongst the many rare and endangered species are pygmy hippo, forest elephant, three species of pangolin, chimpanzee, Diana monkey and three species of globally threatened colobus monkeys, (western red, olive and king colobus). The globally threatened birds include Gola Malimbe, Timneh parrot, white-breasted guineafowl, and white-necked rockfowl.
Conservation Status and Prospects. According to IUCN’s 2025 evaluation of the nomination, the boundaries, management arrangements and conditions of integrity of the Gola-Tiwai Complex satisfy the requirements for world heritage listing. Management of the three components within the Gola Rainforest National Park is undertaken by a not-for-profit company called Gola Rainforest Conservation – Limited by Guarantee (GRC-LG) with funding provided through an international project under REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). This project provides a sustainable source of revenue to support management costs, protect ecosystem services and provide benefits to local communities. Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary is subject to control by traditional Paramount Chiefs and benefits from strong community involvement in management.
The management authorities are addressing a number of ongoing threats including poaching, logging, mining and agricultural encroachment. Poaching is the main threat, targeting critical species such as the Western Chimpanzee and Pygmy Hippopotamus, as well as a range of animals involved in the bushmeat trade. Poaching is a particular problem along the park’s eastern boundary which is less than 4 km from the international border with Liberia. Selective logging and artisanal mining for gold and diamonds have been long-standing activities throughout the area in the recent past but are now much better controlled. Mining and exploration licenses that previously covered parts of the park have now been withdrawn. A particular threat to the site is the continued landscape-level fragmentation of forests in Sierra Leone, as unprotected forests are cleared to make way for settlement. The four component parts of the site are all highly vulnerable because they are so accessible to members of local communities, with each component so small and fragmented that no part of the complex is further than 5km from settlements (where poaching and other forms of resource use originate).
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Slideshow description
Slideshow of the Gola-Tiwai Complex: The slideshow features a short portfolio of photographs by Peter Howard taken during an official mission in association with the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 2009. It starts with a series of notices which demonstrate the close involvement of the seven local communities (Chiefdoms) surrounding the forests, and shows parts of the forest interior (that have been subject to past logging) and some of the illegal hunting paraphernalia (snares, used shotgun cartridges) that have been collected during anti-poaching patrols. The second part of the slideshow provides some photos of the scenic river, palm and bamboo forests around Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, together with the simple ferry that is used to cross onto the island and some of the basic research, management and visitor accommodation on the island. The tracks of a pygmy hippo in a muddy river bank confirm the species presence in the area.
Factfile
Website Category:
Tropical and sub-tropical forests;
Area: 712 km2
Inscribed: 2025
Criteria:
- Ecological processes (ix);
- Natural habitat for biodiversity (x);
- Significant number of rare, endemic and/or endangered species (x)
