In West Africa, a large area of green forest used to stretch from Liberia to Togo. Today, most of the original rainforest in Côte d'Ivoire is gone. What is left are small, separate areas of nature, cut off by human development.
Taï National Park is the largest of these areas. It is the biggest remaining piece of primary rainforest in the Upper Guinean region. This area is known worldwide for its unique plants and animals. However, logging and farming have destroyed much of the surrounding land over many years.
Taï National Park is now surrounded. The land around the park has changed completely. Instead of old trees, there are now farms for rice, cassava, oil palm, and rubber. This farming has trapped the park. Animals inside have no way to leave.
Conservationists and local people are now creating a way out. The government of Côte d'Ivoire, through its national parks agency OIPR, has approved a plan for a wildlife passage. This four-kilometer path will go along a river and connect to Grebo National Park in Liberia.
The success of this project depends on the village of Nigré. This village is close to the Liberian park. Instead of moving farmers, the plan asks for their help. Villagers in Nigré have agreed to plant native trees next to their farms. By mixing farming and trees, they are building a living bridge for wildlife. This corridor will become a Voluntary Nature Reserve, managed with the local people.
This project is very important for global biology. The connected parks form a large area of tropical forest. Many plant species are found here, and some exist nowhere else. The forests are also home to endangered mammals like the pygmy hippopotamus and the West African chimpanzee. Conservationists hope the new passage will help these animals breed and survive. Other animals, like the bongo antelope, will also benefit by spreading seeds and helping the forest grow.