Managers of the Ankasa Conservation Forest in the Western Region are urgently appealing for enhanced patrolling logistics and modern drones to bolster their efforts against poachers and encroachers.
This forest, a vital tourist attraction and biodiversity research area, is home to rare animal and plant species, making it Ghana’s only remaining wet evergreen rainforest despite ongoing efforts by Ghana Gas Company to plant over 8,000 Mahogany trees along its boundaries and degraded areas.
The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission has raised concerns that without additional patrol resources and hi-tech monitoring equipment for the current 26-man patrol team, Ankasa is vulnerable to poaching and illegal mining activities.
Spanning 509 square kilometers, Ankasa was gazetted in 1976 to protect special plant species and rare forest animals that draw tourists. Given the increasing global carbon emissions and their severe environmental impacts, including floods, investments in carbon sinks like the Ankasa Conservation Forest are crucial.
Ankasa Conservation Forest Park Manager, Dramani Dauda Jawat, expressed gratitude to Ghana Gas for its conservation efforts. He highlighted Ankasa’s significance as a hub for biodiversity research and stressed the importance of protecting the forest from poachers and potential illegal mining activities.