Obudu Plateau

Obudu Plateau
Sankwala Mountain Range
Country	Nigeria
State	Cross-River State
Region	South east Region
Highest point
- elevation	1,716 m (5,630 ft)
Area	40 km2 (15 sq mi)

Obudu Plateau is a montane grassland plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River state,south east of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross river state. The plateau extends beyond Nigeria's south eastern border.

The Sankwala mountain ranges were first explored in 1949 by McCaughley, a Scottish rancher who camped out in the mountains for a month, before returning with Hugh Jones – a fellow rancher who, in 1951, together with Crawfeild developed a cattle ranch on the plateau known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch. Although the ranch has been through troubles since, it has very recently been rehabilitated to its former glory by the Protea South African Hotel chain.^[1]

The Obudu Plateau is spread over an area of over 40 square miles (100 km²) and rises to about 5200 ft (1,584 metres) above sea level.^[2] The plateau is a giant massif in its own right and its peak reaches a height of about 1,716 metres (5,630 ft) above sea level. The plateau is known to be a habitat of rare species of birds.

Location

Obudu Plateau is found on the Oshie Ridge, one of the two ridges that make up the Sankwala Mountains in Cross River state of Nigeria (the other being the Sankwala ridge itself from which the mountain range takes its name).

Climate

The climate on the Obudu Plateau is comparatively cold.The plateau experiences a semi-temperate climate, with temperatures going between 26 °C (78.8 °F) to 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the dry season of November to January. The rainy season in June to September is colder with temperature lows of between 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 10 °C (50.0 °F) recorded.^[3]

The plateau receives heavy and abundant rainfall during the rainy season. A total of 4,200 millimeters of rainfall is received on the plateau between April to November. Orographic activity is a factor contributing to the heavy rainfall. Clouds coming into southern Nigeria from the Atlantic Ocean drop their moisture content onto the plateau as the barrier of the Sankwala mountains forces the cloud upward and the resulting rapid cooling is followed by heavy rainfall on the plateau.^[4]

Topography

The terrain of the Obudu Plateau is hilly with deep gorges.

Attractions

• The Plateau is home to a cattle ranch popularly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch.The ranch is approximately 65 km from Obudu town, in the north eastern part of Cross River State.^[5].
• The plateau has a tourist lodge, built at an altitude of about 1600 metres above sea level.
• A cable car transport network takes visitors from the foot of the mountain to the top of the plateau.
• An airstrip is located at the foot of the plateau for visitors reaching the plateau by air from other parts of the world.

References

1. ^ Come Visit Obudu – Obudu Forum. TripAdvisor (2011-03-27). Retrieved on 2011-04-09.
2. ^ Hike the Obudu Plateau to the Gorilla Camp and observe gorillas in their natural habitat – Nigeria. Nigeria-direct.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-09.
3. ^ Sights at Obudu. Obudu Cattle Ranch .Info. Retrieved on 2011-04-09.
4. ^ Birdlife Data Zone. Birdlife.org. Retrieved on 2011-04-09.
5. ^ Obudu Cattle Ranch – South-East – East – Nigeria – MyGreatWorld – Your spot related photo community. Nigeria.mygreatworld.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-09.