New Trip Report: Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea)
A new report from a place I would dearly love to visit.
Bioko Island, 2019: Justin Brown, 9 days & 11 species including Drill, Red-eared Monkey, Black Colobus, Bioko Allen’s Galago and Brush-tailed Porcupine.
Jon
6 Comments
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Thug Hamster
Some people had been at Moraka a few weeks before we arrived, but BBPP is not maintaining a presence there all the time during the dry season. I only hiked a portion of the trail to the caldera, but a volunteer told me that she had gone up there at the end of January…so I think it was fine. We were told that if tourists were interested in visiting the caldera, BBPP would make sure the trail was in good condition. You should be able to click the links in the report to see my videos. How much time did you spend at the caldera?
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Curtis Hart
I have only spent a few nights in the Caldera. The seasons I was on the island were after the big expeditions, so when I was there, there were only people in the Caldera for a few days. There may still be a trail to North Camp, but I doubt the side trails exist. From my estimates, it would cost about $2000 to have the trails in the caldera cut to what they used to be. When the guys went up to cut the trails in 2015, it took them 8 days for 6 men. In 2017 a small group went up to retrieve weather data, and said the side trails were all overgrown with grass, which is over head height, and takes a long time to cut. From a mammal watching perspective, I don’t know that visiting the Caldera is necessary. You can find all of the species at lower elevations, except Preuss’s , which is better seen on Pico Basile. If you’re just interested in the habitat, the upper rim of Lago Biao is roughly the same habitat. It’s really disappointing to hear the BBPP has abandoned Moraka. The years I was there, primates were best seen around sea level and along the rivers, especially the Tope Tomo.
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Thug Hamster
I didn’t make it to the caldera, so all I can say is that people running BBPP from Malabo (we met with them on the final day) and the local guides kept saying that primates are numerous and relaxed at the caldera. The people in Malabo had been up there in late January/early February. Like you said, finding all of the primates, except Preuss’s, is certainly doable around Moraka, but it sounds like the overall experience might be a little better at the caldera. I could definitely see/feel the impact of hunting around Moraka.
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Jose R. castello
Sounds like an amazing trip!