The great but untold truth about about abundant big game in West Africa!!!, An Insight into West Africa's amazing big game areas!!! Options

[Patrick Egwu]

Western Africa, the big region of Africa sandwiched between the Sahara Desert to the North, and the Atlantic to the South, and which extends from Senegal to Cameroon, or arguably Nigeria on a Westerly to Easterly basis, is a region which is more often recognized for its diversity in human culture, or at best, rainforest wildlife..... In fact, many of West Africa's most important wildlife areas are yet to be properly researched and documented. For some reason, the researchers prefer to go to the Eastern or Southern parts of the continent, and usually only come to West in search of tropical forest species, especially primates.... Even more amazing, is that majority of the indigenous people of the region who where born within the last eighty or so years do not know or have even the vaguest idea of what obtains locally in terms of wildlife, nor do they understand the importance of such. Governments have even failed where they should be responsible. Often relegating nature conservation to the back-ground, or showing a lack of basic understanding of the concept that in order for any society to remain truly sustainable, development must be in tandem with Nature. Indeed, a prime example of such lack of understanding happened within the past two years, when Nigeria's Federal Government handed over a federal run reserve to a State (regional government), thereby going against the grain of International conservation practices. Equally amazing, is how governments often talk about tourism development, and base such development on the construction of golf-courses, and big luxury hotels, amongst others, whilst ignoring the very thing that is unique about West Africa - the wildlife.... It seems in the West, we still have a lot to learn from East and Southern Africa, especially South Africa...

Sometimes one finds it thoroughly amusing when there are comments proclaiming that there are no more populations of any of Africa's 'big five' in West Africa.... Such comments are as far from the truth as there can ever be, because in West Africa we have lost very little, and even more interestingly, the wildlife of the West African bush exhibits many significant differences from what obtains in the better known areas of East or Southern Africa. In fact, of the big five, the only animal we have tragically lost is the Western Black Rhino, which died out in the wilds of Northern Cameroon in recent years.......

In West Africa, we still have numerous viable populations of bush elephants, West African savanna buffalo which number in the thousands in Northern Benin, South Western Niger, and South-Eastern Burkina Faso, as well as the conservation complexes straddling the Northern borders of Nigeria and Cameroon. These West African buffalos are the West's equivalent of East and Southern Africa's Cape buffalos, but tend to vary in color from orange brown to black individuals within the same heard, and usually carrying more slender horns.... West Africa is also home to several lion communities, with the conserved area straddling Northern Nigeria and Cameroon thought to contain up to three hundred individuals. A notable difference in the lions of West Africa is that nearly if not all adult males, though large bodied, are scantily manned, or almost maneless..... At times, it is not easy to distinguish between male and female lions from afar. Indeed, very contrary to the popular belief that male lions as standard exhibit prominent manes, thereby indicating clear difference between the sexes. We also have leopards through out the region, spotted hyena, and even a few pockets of cheetah, and wild dog...... Another noteworthy difference in the West African bush is the absence of zebra, wildebeest, or impala. Animals which have in our psyche become symbolic of Africa.... The roles that these animals play as part of the food chain for predators, or rather wildlife network, is replaced in West Africa by the buffon/Senegal kob (much similar to the lechwe of Southern Africa), Western Roan Antelope (the region around Northern Benin is home to the largest concentration of wild roan antelope in the world), Western Hartebeest, Korrigum (the West African version of the topi/tsessebe), Giant Eland (West African version of the Eland, larger than that found in other regions of the continent), defassa waterbuck (In West Africa waterbucks have a more shaggy coat, and are reddish-brownish in color), red-fronted gazell (West African replacement for thompson's gazell or springbok), Western bush-buck (different coat markings from the rest of the continent), tantalus monkey (West African version of the vervet/green monkey), red patas monkey (In West Africa patas monkeys are reddish brown)...... In west Africa, black backed jackals are replaced by side-stripped jackals, and the brown hyena's of Southern Africa are replaced by stripped hyenas. The West Afrian/Nigerian giraffe is also endemic to the region, so too is the guinea baboon, though olive baboon is dominant in terms of distribution.

For obvious reasons, it is not practical to highlight all the different characteristics that makes wildlife in the West African bush different from the well documented wildlife areas of Eastern or Southern Africa, but one hopes that this article is an insight to the 'tip of the iceburg' waiting to be fully explored in a sustainable manner.

Great 'big game' wildlife areas in West Africa include:

Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal (Famous for its savanna dwelling chimpanzees, and some of West Africa's, and indeed Africa's last wild-dog populations. Other notable species include around 100 lions, elephants, buffalo, roan, etc.... Classic West African wildlife).

Mole Game Reserve in Ghana (All the regular species are here.... Lions are thought to be 'thin' on the ground, and possibly leopards too, but there are around 800 elephants here, so its worth a visit).

Arli National Park in Burkina Faso (Plenty wildlife, typical of Northern West Africa).

W National park straddling the borders of Niger, Benin, and Burkina Faso, and home to huge populations of ungulates, some of the healthiest populations in Africa, and along with with neighboring conservation areas is home to the largest concentration of roan antelopes in the world. Here, roan antelope herds numbering in the hundreds are common. Parc W as it is often referred to in the Francophone countries where it is situated, is also home to some of West Africa's last wild Cheetahs.

Pendjari National Park in Benin is contingous to W national park, and therefore harbors the same wildlife..... The park is famous for its lions.

Yankari Game Reserve in Nigeria (A lot of wildlife. Unusually waterbuck is the most common antelope in this reserve, and equally unusual is the fact that these antelopes are the most favored species by the local lions, though researchers traditionally believe that lions else-where have a disliking for this particular species, due to its oily flesh).

Gashaka-Gumti National Park (This Nigerian national park is a special case, and is home to a staggering 103 species of mammals alone. The park is home to some of West Africa's last wild-dog, giraffe, giant eland, and klipspringer populations. It is the only site in West Africa if you exclude Cameroon, to harbor the giant forest hog. It is one of few sites in the world for the Nigerian Chimpanzee, numbering a few thousand individuals. The baboons here have an unusual habit of dwelling in the parks rainforest ecosystem, add that to the lions, leopards, thousands of ungulates, red-river hog (West/Central African version of the bush-pig, an animal that is rufous orange in color), and species typical of West Africa's tropical rainforests, as well numerous mountainous wildlife, then it is understandable why the park has been recognized globally as an environmental/wildlife 'hotspot'. Gashaka Gumti's staggering biodiversity statistics is as a result of its multiple ecosystem, and rivals any of its kind anywhere in the world).

Waza National Park in Cameroun is amongst the best in West/Central Africa, and is home to some of West Africa's last viable populations of Ostrich, Korrigum, giraffe, and red-fronted gazell.... Lots of lions, elephants and all the expectant stuff).

We dont know when the governments and people of West Africa will begin to realize the importance of wildlife not only to future generations, but also as a contributor to national economy. Thankfully, some individuals, governments, and corporations are waking up the challenge. Though we still have a long way to go, before we can catch up with Southern Eastern Africa

[Patrick Egwu]

Western Africa, the big region of Africa sandwiched between the Sahara Desert to the North, and the Atlantic to the South, and which extends from Senegal to Cameroon, or arguably Nigeria on a Westerly to Easterly basis, is a region which is more often recognized for its diversity in human culture, or at best, rainforest wildlife..... In fact, many of West Africa's most important wildlife areas are yet to be properly researched and documented. For some reason, the researchers prefer to go to the Eastern or Southern parts of the continent, and usually only come to West in search of tropical forest species, especially primates.... Even more amazing, is that majority of the indigenous people of the region who where born within the last eighty or so years do not know or have even the vaguest idea of what obtains locally in terms of wildlife, nor do they understand the importance of such. Governments have even failed where they should be responsible. Often relegating nature conservation to the back-ground, or showing a lack of basic understanding of the concept that in order for any society to remain truly sustainable, development must be in tandem with Nature. Indeed, a prime example of such lack of understanding happened within the past two years, when Nigeria's Federal Government handed over a federal run reserve to a State (regional government), thereby going against the grain of International conservation practices. Equally amazing, is how governments often talk about tourism development, and base such development on the construction of golf-courses, and big luxury hotels, amongst others, whilst ignoring the very thing that is unique about West Africa - the wildlife.... It seems in the West, we still have a lot to learn from East and Southern Africa, especially South Africa...

Sometimes one finds it thoroughly amusing when there are comments proclaiming that there are no more populations of any of Africa's 'big five' in West Africa.... Such comments are as far from the truth as there can ever be, because in West Africa we have lost very little, and even more interestingly, the wildlife of the West African bush exhibits many significant differences from what obtains in the better known areas of East or Southern Africa. In fact, of the big five, the only animal we have tragically lost is the Western Black Rhino, which died out in the wilds of Northern Cameroon in recent years.......

In West Africa, we still have numerous viable populations of bush elephants, West African savanna buffalo which number in the thousands in Northern Benin, South Western Niger, and South-Eastern Burkina Faso, as well as the conservation complexes straddling the Northern borders of Nigeria and Cameroon. These West African buffalos are the West's equivalent of East and Southern Africa's Cape buffalos, but tend to vary in color from orange brown to black individuals within the same heard, and usually carrying more slender horns.... West Africa is also home to several lion communities, with the conserved area straddling Northern Nigeria and Cameroon thought to contain up to three hundred individuals. A notable difference in the lions of West Africa is that nearly if not all adult males, though large bodied, are scantily manned, or almost maneless..... At times, it is not easy to distinguish between male and female lions from afar. Indeed, very contrary to the popular belief that male lions as standard exhibit prominent manes, thereby indicating clear difference between the sexes. We also have leopards through out the region, spotted hyena, and even a few pockets of cheetah, and wild dog...... Another noteworthy difference in the West African bush is the absence of zebra, wildebeest, or impala. Animals which have in our psyche become symbolic of Africa.... The roles that these animals play as part of the food chain for predators, or rather wildlife network, is replaced in West Africa by the buffon/Senegal kob (much similar to the lechwe of Southern Africa), Western Roan Antelope (the region around Northern Benin is home to the largest concentration of wild roan antelope in the world), Western Hartebeest, Korrigum (the West African version of the topi/tsessebe), Giant Eland (West African version of the Eland, larger than that found in other regions of the continent), defassa waterbuck (In West Africa waterbucks have a more shaggy coat, and are reddish-brownish in color), red-fronted gazell (West African replacement for thompson's gazell or springbok), Western bush-buck (different coat markings from the rest of the continent), tantalus monkey (West African version of the vervet/green monkey), red patas monkey (In West Africa patas monkeys are reddish brown)...... In west Africa, black backed jackals are replaced by side-stripped jackals, and the brown hyena's of Southern Africa are replaced by stripped hyenas. The West Afrian/Nigerian giraffe is also endemic to the region, so too is the guinea baboon, though olive baboon is dominant in terms of distribution.

For obvious reasons, it is not practical to highlight all the different characteristics that makes wildlife in the West African bush different from the well documented wildlife areas of Eastern or Southern Africa, but one hopes that this article is an insight to the 'tip of the iceburg' waiting to be fully explored in a sustainable manner.

Great 'big game' wildlife areas in West Africa include:

Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal (Famous for its savanna dwelling chimpanzees, and some of West Africa's, and indeed Africa's last wild-dog populations. Other notable species include around 100 lions, elephants, buffalo, roan, etc.... Classic West African wildlife).

Mole Game Reserve in Ghana (All the regular species are here.... Lions are thought to be 'thin' on the ground, and possibly leopards too, but there are around 800 elephants here, so its worth a visit).

Arli National Park in Burkina Faso (Plenty wildlife, typical of Northern West Africa).

W National park straddling the borders of Niger, Benin, and Burkina Faso, and home to huge populations of ungulates, some of the healthiest populations in Africa, and along with with neighboring conservation areas is home to the largest concentration of roan antelopes in the world. Here, roan antelope herds numbering in the hundreds are common. Parc W as it is often referred to in the Francophone countries where it is situated, is also home to some of West Africa's last wild Cheetahs.

Pendjari National Park in Benin is contingous to W national park, and therefore harbors the same wildlife..... The park is famous for its lions.

Yankari Game Reserve in Nigeria (A lot of wildlife. Unusually waterbuck is the most common antelope in this reserve, and equally unusual is the fact that these antelopes are the most favored species by the local lions, though researchers traditionally believe that lions else-where have a disliking for this particular species, due to its oily flesh).

Gashaka-Gumti National Park (This Nigerian national park is a special case, and is home to a staggering 103 species of mammals alone. The park is home to some of West Africa's last wild-dog, giraffe, giant eland, and klipspringer populations. It is the only site in West Africa if you exclude Cameroon, to harbor the giant forest hog. It is one of few sites in the world for the Nigerian Chimpanzee, numbering a few thousand individuals. The baboons here have an unusual habit of dwelling in the parks rainforest ecosystem, add that to the lions, leopards, thousands of ungulates, red-river hog (West/Central African version of the bush-pig, an animal that is rufous orange in color), and species typical of West Africa's tropical rainforests, as well numerous mountainous wildlife, then it is understandable why the park has been recognized globally as an environmental/wildlife 'hotspot'. Gashaka Gumti's staggering biodiversity statistics is as a result of its multiple ecosystem, and rivals any of its kind anywhere in the world).

Waza National Park in Cameroun is amongst the best in West/Central Africa, and is home to some of West Africa's last viable populations of Ostrich, Korrigum, giraffe, and red-fronted gazell.... Lots of lions, elephants and all the expectant stuff).

We dont know when the governments and people of West Africa will begin to realize the importance of wildlife not only to future generations, but also as a contributor to national economy. Thankfully, some individuals, governments, and corporations are waking up the challenge. Though we still have a long way to go, before we can catch up with Southern Eastern Africa

[Guest_John Milbank_*]

We dont know when the governments and people of West Africa will begin to realize the importance of wildlife not only to future generations, but also as a contributor to national economy. Thankfully, some individuals, governments, and corporations are waking up the challenge. Though we still have a long way to go, before we can catch up with Southern Eastern Africa

Thanks Patrick...most enlightening. But why is it taking so long?

[Atravelynn]

Thanks for joining the forum and providing us with such interesting and encouraging info.

[twaffle]

This is very interesting. I have often wondered how you would find an objective view of the remaining viable populations of wildlife in West Africa and I certainly didn't know that there were so many differences in species, but it would stand to reason.
I would love to learn more. Patrick, is there a website or organization which provides information on a regular basis regarding wildlife and how the Parks are being developed for tourism (if and when) and whether visitors can indeed see some of the animals now or whether it is a long term project.
There is so little information available and friends of ours who lived in several different West African countries never mentioned wildlife at all.

[dikdik]

Very refreshing indeed.

I still cant get my head around the logistics of a visit in such places. I second Sniktawk with questions as to facilities!!!

There is this feeling that the infrastructure in such countries is questionable, so charter flights will be a must. This and the difficulties that such countries give travelers at customs, is a turn off for me.

Such a vast continent Africa and I would love to venture further. So much to do so little time.

[Patrick Egwu]

This is very interesting. I have often wondered how you would find an objective view of the remaining viable populations of wildlife in West Africa and I certainly didn't know that there were so many differences in species, but it would stand to reason.
I would love to learn more. Patrick, is there a website or organization which provides information on a regular basis regarding wildlife and how the Parks are being developed for tourism (if and when) and whether visitors can indeed see some of the animals now or whether it is a long term project.
There is so little information available and friends of ours who lived in several different West African countries never mentioned wildlife at all.

Twaffle: Sorry for the late response...... My main focus is Nigeria.... I do beleive that there are wildlife websites for other West African wildlife areas, but I can suggest certain Nigeria based organizations that can provide further information. I do not remember the exact URLs off-head, but the following organizations do have websites (Which I am sure you will find if you 'google search' the relevant organization):

Nigerian Conservation Foundation (Lagos based organization specializing in the conservation of biodiversity through-out Nigeria).

Okomu National Park (One of Nigeria's seven national parks, this small rainforest park has a website, tourist facilities, and good wildlife, including a monkey endemic to Nigeria. Noteworthy fauna include, elephant, forest buffalo, and leopard).

Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP as it is popularly called has a website hosted by one of London's major universities, and which provides all details on this richly endowed wildife area. If well managed, Gashaka can rival Kruger, and amongst its most noteworthy species are: giant eland, western giraffe, wild-dog, giant forest hog, black and white colobus, lion, elephant, western buffalo, leopard, and an impressive population of over 2000 Nigerian Chimpanzees).

CERCOPAN (CERCOPAN is an organisation based in Calabar-Nigeria, and which specializes in primate conservation. The organisation is affiliated to Nigeria's Cross River National Park which is home to the country's largest area of primary rainforest. Cross River is home to one of the world's few populations of cross river gorillas, as well as numerous other primate species, chimps, forest buffoles, leopards, etc).

Yankari Initiative (Is a relatively new organisation, and has a website concerning its activities in Nigeria's best known wildlife area - the Yankari Game Reserve. Yankari is home to stable elephant populations, numbering in their hundreds, as well as lion, waterbuck, buffalo, etc)

Pendjari National Park (Is Benin's best known wildlife area, and has a website of its own. The park has some of the best ungulate populations in the entire Africa, especially roan antelopes).

[Patrick Egwu]

Very refreshing indeed.

I still cant get my head around the logistics of a visit in such places. I second Sniktawk with questions as to facilities!!!

There is this feeling that the infrastructure in such countries is questionable, so charter flights will be a must. This and the difficulties that such countries give travelers at customs, is a turn off for me.

Such a vast continent Africa and I would love to venture further. So much to do so little time.

Dik dik:

There are adequate logistics and visitor lodges in some of the places referenced.... Aside South Africa, Immigration formalities in most of West Africa should be comparable to what obtains in other regions of Africa..... The only 'area' that is somewhat of an issue in West Africa is the lack of adequate tour operators in the region.... Travel within the region will most likely have to be arranged and organized by the intending traveller.......

[Patrick Egwu]

Hi Patrick,

We knew about some of the areas you mentioned but not all, our knowledge only stems from our friendship with a vet who works for WCS, and the odd article in Africa Geographic. Who for instance would know that some of Africa's largest elephant herds are in Chad?
I think everyone is amazed when they find out that there is lots of wildlife in these areas, it is just not very well publicised.
Are there any facilities to visit these parks and tour operators who can organise trips, if you have any details please post them here.

Sniktawk:

There are adequate logistics and visitor lodges in some of the places referenced.... Aside South Africa, Immigration formalities in most of West Africa should be comparable to what obtains in other regions of Africa..... The only 'area' that is somewhat of an issue in West Africa is the lack of adequate tour operators in the region.... Travel within the region will most likely have to be arranged and organized by the intending traveller.......