subcylindricus, black casqued hornbill Ceratogymna atrata, red-billed dwarf hornbill Tockus camurus, and passerines such as Bleda syndactyla, Bleda eximia, Alethe diademata, Stiphrornis erythrothorax Criniger Calurus, Indicator maculatus (Fotso 2000). The Bamenda Apalis Apalis bamendae was discovered to be relatively widespread throughout the area (Bobo & Languy 2000 a,b; Fotso 2000) - this bird had previously thought to have been restricted to a small area in the Bamenda Highlands of Northwest Cameroon, two hundred kilometres to the west of Mbam Djerem. The Park has not only a wide diversity of habitats, flora and fauna, but also of seasonal extremes of temperature. In the dry season, bushfires reduce the grasses to ash. Rivers and swampy valleys dry up completely. This seasonality has important implications for the animals that require frequent water: they are obliged to remain near the larger rivers for several months at a time. Normally water is not a limiting factor for humid forest species, but the forest animals here may be on the edge of their physical limits. This information is well known by hunters, who use the grassy plains near the major rivers during the wet season; kob, buffalo and waterbuck are found here during this season, and hunters travel in from the railway line to transport meat out to the east. Conservation issues It is clear that the Mbam Djerem National Park contains a representative bloc of the habitat diversity that comprises the ecotone area of Cameroon and its neighbours. The large mammal fauna, now almost gone in West Africa, is still present, although threatened by commercial bushmeat (and some ivory) hunting. Local people in the area have few other activities that bring in money: profits on the small-scale agricultural products grown in the area are much lower than those gained by selling meat. The main methods of commercial hunting are thick wire snares aimed at the larger ungulates, and gun hunting, although small game hunting is carried out using thin wire snares near the villages (often outside the Park border). Bibliography Bobo, K. S. and Languy, M. (2000) Inventaire ornithologique dans le Parc National du Mbam-Djerem. Unpublished report to Cameroon Ornithological Club and BirdLife International. 34pp. Bobo, K. S., Njabo, Y. K., Anye, N. D. and Languy, M. ((in prep)) Status and distribution of Bamenda Apalis in Cameroon, Central Africa. Fotso, R.C. (2000) Mbam Djerem National Park. Bird survey, March 2000. WCS-Cameroon Fotso, R.C., Eno Nku,