Located in a well-watered area along the banks of the Gambia river, in south-eastern Senegal, the gallery forests and savannahs of Niokolo-Koba National Park have a great diversity of ecosystems and a very rich fauna, which includes Derby elands (largest of the antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards and a large population of elephants, as well as many birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Description
Map
Surface : 2,043,921 ha
- Core area(s): 913,000 ha
- Buffer zone(s): 365,725 ha
- Transition area(s): 765,196
Location: N/A
Administrative Authorities
Direction des Parcs Nationaux
Commandant Malle Gueye
37 Tambacouda
Senegal 26000
Tel.: +221 33 981 10 97
Email: parcnationalniokolokoba@gmail.com
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Ecological Characteristics
Located in the Sudano-Guinean zone, Niokolo-Koba National Park is characterized by its group of ecosystems typical of this region, over an area of 913 000ha. Watered by large waterways (the Gambia, Sereko, Niokolo, Koulountou), it comprises gallery forests, savannah grass floodplains, ponds, dry forests -- dense or with clearings -- rocky slopes and hills and barren Bowés. This remarkable plant diversity justifies the presence of a rich fauna characterized by: the Derby Eland (the largest of African antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards, a large population of elephants as well as many species of birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Socio-Economic Characteristics
Agriculture is based on shifting cultivation of crops, like peanuts, cotton, cowpea, maize and rice. The Group for the Promotion of Women have carried out several projects to foster the cultivation of vegetables in the Biosphere Reserve, which are partially consumed and partially sold in local markets (loumas). Other income-generating activities that the Biosphere Reserve authorities have been fostering with various forms of microcredit include apiculture, guinea fowl breeding and ecotourism.
However, an ever-growing population in the buffer zone is a challenge in terms of conservation. Another challenge is posed by mining. Besides industrial mining activities in the Kedougoi region, traditional gold panning has been attracting an increasing number of people, including foreigners from Guine, Mali and Burkina Faso.
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Last updated: December 2018