Situated to the north west of the ancient city of Benin, Okomu National Park is a fascinating rainforest in Ovia South-West, Edo state. The park is a blissful forest where you experience the beauty of a rainforest full of huge forest trees, several species of plants and animals.Although the forest reserve continues to shrink due to encroachment, it still holds some endangered wildlife such as the rare white-throated monkey.
The Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary, is a forest block set within the 1,082 km² Okomu Forest Reserve, and situated about 60 km north-west of the city of Benin. Okomu is a home of forest elephants, buffaloes, red river hogs, chimpanzees, leopards, putty nosed guenon, porcupine, pangolins, duikers, antelopes etc.
The vegetation is a typical Guinea–Congo lowland rainforest and is characterized by a mosaic of swamp-forest, high forest, secondary forest, and open scrubs. The white throated monkey which is one of the rarest monkeys in the world today is found at the park as well. Butterflies and birds are abundant making it one of the best places for bird watching in Nigeria. The park has two tree houses, one 140 feet high in a silk-cotton tree, from which visitors can view the park from above and observe bird life. This is the most intriguing feature anyone is likely to see in the park.
The houses are vintage spots for visitors to relax and savour the beauty of nature that the park presents. Okomu National Park also known as ‘Pride of our National Heritage’ is tucked in the deep forest of Okomu in Ovia South West local government area of Edo State also served as one of the tourist destinations for lovers of nature.
The park which had received some international tourists contain a viable population of white-throated monkey, one of the Africa’s most threatened primates and one of the two monkeys endemic to Nigeria. It also contains a population of rare red capped mangabey.
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