Zakouma National Park
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Zakouma National Park
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| location | Chad | |
| surface | 3000 km² | |
| WDPA ID | 641 | |
| Geographical location | 10 ° 50 ′ N , 19 ° 40 ′ E | |
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| Setup date | 1963 | |
| administration | African parks | |
The Zakouma National Park is a national park in southeastern Chad in the region of Salamat . It is 3000 km² in size. Its buffer zone has a size of 20,000 km². The national park has been part of the Ramsar area Plaines d'inondation des Bahr Aouk et Salamat since 2006 , which is one of the world's largest protected areas of this type.
Location and climate
The Zakouma National Park is located west of Salamat's capital Am Timan , 800 km southeast of the state capital N'Djamena , at an altitude of 200 to 500 m above sea level. The annual precipitation is 500 to 890 mm. The rainy season lasts from late April to late October.
Flora and fauna
The predominant form of vegetation is the tree-lined savannah, which is dominated by long filament , myrobalan , anogeissus and aporosa species. It is interspersed with smaller forest areas. Shrubland makes up 51% of the area of the national park. Especially in the south there are extensive open river meadows , which are flooded in the rainy season. They extend over 500 km². Their grass cover is mainly made up of vetiveria , millet and paspalum species. The numerous watercourses , some of which are lined with gallery forest , also serve as water points for wild animals during the dry season. These are represented by lions , leopards , cheetahs , African wild dogs , buffaloes , warthogs , giraffes , greater kudu and many other horned bearers. Nothobranchius rubroreticulatus also occurs . There are also elephants in Zakouma National Park. Rhinos became extinct from poaching; there are plans to relocate them.
Birds
There are 226 species of birds found in the park. The most important are the crowned crane (in winter), the Niam-Niam parrot , the green-browed spint , the black-breasted furry-beak , the sun lark , the red-headed cistus warbler , the purple starling , the gambaga flycatcher (during the breeding season), the heuglin weaver and the Grauastrild . The Zakouma National Park is also said to be home to larger pelican populations, but no systematic counts of water birds have yet been carried out.
poaching
In August 2006, conservationists discovered 100 poached elephants from a small plane. From 2006 to 2008 the number of elephants fell from 3,000 to around 1,000. Some park guards were also shot by the poachers. Since the park was taken over by the non-profit organization African Parks, poaching has decreased significantly and the elephant populations are also recovering.
Protection status
The area was placed under protection as a wildlife reserve in 1958 and upgraded to a national park in 1963. The park has received considerable support from abroad since 1989, for example as part of an EU- funded conservation project.
The Zakouma National Park is surrounded by the Bahr Salamat Faunal Reserve , which covers 20,600 km². It forms the buffer zone, although it does not have a corresponding protection status. In 2010 the non-profit organization African Parks took over the management of the park.
tourism
The distance from the park to the capital has a negative impact on the development of tourism. Another problem is competition from more accessible parks in northern Cameroon .
The best time to visit is in March and April, when the animals gather around the watering holes. It is not possible to visit from June to October due to the rain. You can stay at Le Campement Hôtelier Tinga , which is located within the park. Guided safaris and horse rides are also offered.
literature
- Wally and Horst Hagen: The African national parks as habitats for elephants . In: Vitus B. Dröscher (1990): Save the Elephants of Africa (p. 221)
Web links
- Official website of Zakouma National Park (French)
- Visiting options and costs (English) ( Memento from January 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- Photos from the Zakouma National Park
- Profile at BirdLife (English)