Niokolo-Koba National Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Niokolo-Koba National Park |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Gambia River in the national park
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 Niokolo-Koba National Park
Location in Senegal
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| Location | Senegal |
| Area | 9,130 km2 (3,530 sq mi) |
| Established | 1954, 1969 |
| Type: | Natural |
| Criteria: | x |
| Designated: | 1981 (5th session) |
| Reference #: | 153 |
| Region: | Africa |
| Endangered: | 2007–2024 |
The Niokolo-Koba National Park is a special natural area in southeastern Senegal. It is close to the Guinea border. This park is so important that it is a World Heritage Site. You can even fly to a small airport called Niokolo-Koba Airport to visit it!
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About Niokolo-Koba National Park
Niokolo-Koba started as a protected area in 1925. It became a full national park in Senegal on January 1, 1954. The park grew bigger in 1969. In 1981, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means it's a place of great natural importance for the whole world.
For a while, the park was on a list of "Endangered World Heritage sites." This happened in 2007 because of some problems. But thanks to improvements, it was taken off this list in 2024! This is great news for the park and its animals. Since 2005, it has also been a special place for protecting West African lions.
Park Geography: Where is it?
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This amazing park is in a hilly area. The upper part of the Gambia River flows right through it. The park covers a huge area of about 9,130 square kilometers. That's a lot of space for nature! It stretches from the Upper Casamance/Kolda Region all the way to the Tambacounda Region.
The park's height above sea level changes quite a bit. It goes from 16 meters (about 52 feet) to as high as 311 meters (about 1,020 feet).
Plant Life: The Flora of Niokolo-Koba
Most of Niokolo-Koba National Park is covered in woodland savannah. This is like a mix of forests and grasslands. There are also areas of semi-arid forest, which means the trees can handle drier conditions. You'll also find large areas of wetlands that can be wet all year or just during certain seasons.
The park is home to over 1,500 different kinds of plants! It also has 78% of all the "gallery forests" in Senegal. Gallery forests are special forests that grow in long, narrow strips along rivers.
Along the rivers, many trees and bushes are covered in thick, green plants. The types of plants change depending on the land and soil. In the valleys and flat areas, you'll see huge fields of Vetiveria grass and other grassy plants. Tall grasslands often have plants like Paspalum arbiculare and Echinochloa. You can also find areas where bamboo grows.
In the valleys and these belt-shaped forests, the plants look like those found in southern Guinea. There are many tropical woody lianas, which are like climbing vines. Near the rivers, you'll find plants that love water. Some of these annual plants disappear when the water level gets too high. Around the edges of ponds, dry forests and grassy savannas grow. This depends on how wet the soil is. Sometimes, thick bushes called Mimosa pigra grow in the middle of the wetlands.
Animal Life: The Fauna of Niokolo-Koba
Niokolo-Koba National Park is famous for its amazing wildlife! The government of Senegal has counted many different kinds of animals here.
- Amphibians: There are about 20 different kinds of amphibians, like frogs and toads.
- Fish: You can find 60 different types of fish in the park's waters.
- Reptiles: There are 38 kinds of reptiles, including four types of tortoises.
- Mammals: The park is home to about 80 different mammal species!
Some of the mammals you might see include:
- Around 11,000 African buffalo
- About 6,000 hippopotamuses
- Around 400 Giant eland (a type of antelope)
- About 50 African elephants
- Around 120 lions
- About 150 Western chimpanzees
- Around 3,000 waterbucks
- About 2,000 common duikers (small antelopes)
- Many Western red colobus monkeys
- A few rare African leopards
- Some West African wild dogs, which were once thought to be gone from the rest of the country!
Other mammals living in the park are roan antelopes, Guinea baboons, green monkeys, patas monkeys, and Common warthogs.
Over 330 different kinds of birds have been seen in the park! Some notable birds include the Arabian bustard, black crowned crane, Abyssinian ground hornbill, martial eagle, bateleur, and white-faced duck.
You can also find three types of crocodiles and four types of tortoises in the park.
See also
- Dindefelo Falls
- Tourism in Senegal
