Pendjari national park, Benin

Pendjari national park is a national park lying in north western region of Benin adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named after the River of Pendjari, the national park is mainly known for hosting a number of wildlife including a large population of some of the last big games like the lions, hippos, African forest elephants, and African buffalo and also a variety of antelope species in West Africa.

Covering an area of approximately 2,755 square kilometers, Pendjari national park is part of the WAP complex, a large protected area in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. While in the park, view different features including bird species, hills and also cliffs in the Atakora range.

Wildlife in the park

Pendjari national park is a home to a number of wildlife species including the plants, mammals, birds and others.

Mammal species in the park

Pendjari national park comprises of a large population of mammal species including various elephants which was counted and estimated to be more than 800 individuals between 2005 and 2010. The population of the elephants in WAP Complex is more than 3,800 thus making it the best destination for the concentration of elephants in Western Africa. Hippopotamus is the second largest species in the park after the elephants. Also, Pendjari national park is habitats various populations of herbivores animals including the western hartebeests, African buffalo, roan antelopes, kob antelope and the warthogs. Other antelope species in the park are korrigum, reedbuck and the bushbucks.

Pendjari national park is also a home to other species including the smaller bovids like the red flanked duiker, common duiker and the oribi. The primate species are represented by the Tantalus monkeys, olive baboons and the patas monkeys. The park also encompasses a number of predators like the Northwest African cheetah, the lion, West African dog, side striped jackal, African leopard, African civet and many others.

Bird species in the park

Pendjari national park is known for encompassing abundance bird species. There are more than 300 species of birds that are present at the park including the pallid harrier, the lesser kestrel, lappet faced vulture, fox kestrel, and the African swallow tailed kite. Other bird species in the park include the booted eagle, African open bill stork, saddle billed stork. The seasonal flocks are more than 60 in number including the European white storks, the African fish eagle and the pel’s fishing owl.

The most notable species in the park include the pied winged swallow, white crowned robin chat, familiar chat, Botta’s wheatear, mocking cliff chat, white fronted black chat, Senegal eremomela, common rock thrush, blackcap babbler, grey tit flycatcher, white throated francolin, bush petronia, red winged pytilia and many others.

While on a safari in Benin at Pendjari national park, take part in different activities including the game drives where you will spot numerous wildlife, bird watching, visiting the beautiful Tanongou waterfalls, and also cultural visits where you will enjoy the traditional practices of the locals of Tata homesteads and the Peulh camps. All these safari experiences will surely make your safari more enjoyable and memorable thus a need to visit the Republic of Benin more times.