Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger
W-Arly-Pendjari Complex
The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex comprises a savanna landscape recognized for its biodiversity of birds, fish and plants.
These three contiguous parks are located within the Volta River basin at a transition zone between savannah and woodlands, with both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The area is a refuge for species that have mostly disappeared from the rest of West Africa, such as elephants, wild dogs, lion, leopard, cheetah and manatee.
Community Perspective: you won’t find wildlife in the innumerable quantities of the East African parks, but at least in visible herds. The facilities suffer from underinvestment and the border area with and in Burkina Faso is considered unsafe. Tamas made an adventurous approach to the part in Niger (Park ‘W’) as did Michael, while Solivagant and Chris focused on Pendjari in Benin.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (ID: 749)
- Countries
- Benin Burkina Faso Niger
- Status
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Inscribed 1996
Site history
History of W-Arly-Pendjari Complex
- WHS Type
- Natural
- Criteria
- ix
- x
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- africanparks.org — African Parks: Pendjari
News Article
- July 31, 2024 abcnews.go.com — 12 park rangers and soldiers killed at W National Park in Benin
- June 11, 2024 reuters.com — Seven soldiers killed in Pendjari NP
- Sept. 14, 2023 theconversation.com — Jihadist groups threaten the conservation of a key west African world heritage site
- Feb. 20, 2022 aljazeera.com — Five rangers, one soldier killed in Benin park ambush
- Jan. 14, 2021 whc.unesco.org — Norway supports animal surveillance in Pendjari and W National Parks
- Dec. 10, 2020 whc.unesco.org — UNESCO condemns armed attack on Niger's W natural park
- Sept. 14, 2020 washingtonpost.com — Burkina Faso’s wildlife reserves have become a battle zone, overrun by militants and poachers
- July 12, 2020 afrik21.africa — African Parks takes over Beninese part of the W National Park
- May 10, 2019 france24.com — French army rescues four hostages in Sahel after kidnap from Pendjari NP
- Feb. 1, 2018 african-parks.org — National Geographic Joins Forces with African Parks, the Republic of Benin and the Wyss Foundation to Protect Critical West African Ecosystem
Community Information
- Community Category
- Wildlife habitat: Fauna
Travel Information
Transboundary sites
Recent Connections
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Volta Basin
"Stretching across three countries, W-A… -
Red Zone Travel Advisory
Niger fully off-limits, as are the part… -
Niger Basin
Although the majority of the complex is…
Connections of W-Arly-Pendjari Complex
- Geography
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Sahel
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Volta Basin
"Stretching across three countries, W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savanna belt. Situated within the Volta River basin it comprises a dynamic system, where the ebb and flow of water with alternating wet and dry seasons creates a rich variety of plant communities and associated fauna." (UNESCO Desc) -
Niger Basin
Although the majority of the complex is stated by UNESCO to drain southwards into the Volta via the Pendjari (with no mention of the Niger river!) the areas within the "W" NP in the NE (Benin, Burkina Faso & Niger) drain, mmainly via the Alibori and Mekrou, into the Niger river which flows through a part of those parks -
On National Border
On Benin and Burkina Faso border
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- History
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Neolithic age
"The site reflects the interaction between natural resources and humans since Neolithic times." (AB ev)
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- Ecology
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Siraneans
West African manatee "others (species) have made a come-back (..... manatees)" AB. -
Ratites
common ostrich -
Bovines
West African savanna buffalo -
Critically endangered fauna species
Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Bird Migrations
The Park has wetlands that lie under a major Palaeoarctic-Afrotropical flyway and between February and May over 20,000 aquatic birds congregate there. (UNEP-WCMC) -
Turtles and tortoises
African spurred tortoise, African softshelled turtle -
Crocodiles
Nile crocodile -
Strepsirrhini
Senegal bushbaby -
Fish
Crit X: The site exhibits particularly high levels of endemism among fish species and is home to seven of the nine endemic fish species reported in the Volta Basin. -
Lions
Pendjari NP: 70-100 -
Hippos
Pendjari National Park: Mammal species found here include .. hippo. (see link) -
Over 300 bird species
"The park also hosts over 460 bird species" (see link) -
Elephants
"The park provides a home for some of West Africa's last wild African Elephants." (Wiki) -
Savanna
"W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savanna belt" (OUV) -
African Wild Dog
"providing crucial habitat for most of the large mammal species typical of West Africa, such as ...... African Wild Dog" (AB eval)
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- Damaged
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Poaching
Poaching (hunting and fishing) is present in the property – over the recent years it seems to stabilize a little, although with regional insecurity, there is reason to fear a recovery -
Rangers killed by poachers
On April 27, 2021 3 foreigners accompanying an anti-poaching patrol in Arly NP in Burkina Faso were killedSee whc.unesco.org
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- World Heritage Process
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Country gained extra WHS by an extension
Originally "W" National Park of Niger. Extended in 2017 to Burkina Faso, Benin -
Transboundary sites
3 countries (Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso) -
Controversial at inscription
IUCN was against inclusion, also controversy about advocacy by the representative from Niger on a site in his own country. Of the 19 members, 4 finally voted against (Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States of America), not enough to prevent a 2/3 majority. -
Extended
2017: To extend into Burkina Faso and Benin
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- Human Activity
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African Parks Network
W and Pendjari parks in Benin
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Ramsar Wetlands
Parc national du "W" (1987), Zone Humide de la Rivière Pendjari (2007), Parc National d'Arly (2009), Complexe transfrontalier W-Arly-Pendjari (2018)See rsis.ramsar.org
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World Biosphere Reserves
Complex W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Biosphere Reserve (2020) (formerly 'W' Region (established 1996 in Niger; extension to Benin and Burkina Faso in 2002); Arly (2018))
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- Visiting conditions
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Red Zone Travel Advisory
Niger fully off-limits, as are the parts the park lies in in Benin and Burkina Faso
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- WHS Names
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Named after a River
Arli and Pendjari are rivers -
Name changes
From "W National Park of Niger" to the current name (2017)
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News
- abcnews.go.com 07/31/2024
- 12 park rangers and soldiers kille…
- reuters.com 06/11/2024
- Seven soldiers killed in Pendjari …
- theconversation.com 09/14/2023
- Jihadist groups threaten the conse…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
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I visited Pendjari National Park during my 2-week Benin itinerary. I stayed for 1 night in the luxury lodge inside the park. This way I could do an afternoon safari and an early morning safari.
It’s the only park in West Africa now that is suitable for a great game safari. The park is located about 50-60 kilometers north of Natitingou and borders Burkina Faso. It’s inscribed as a transborder UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Arly National Park (Burkina Faso) and W National Park (Niger) as the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex. Its total area is 2755 square kilometers and is home to a lot of wildlife.
Don’t expect the big five but it is home to the West African lion, elephants, hippos, 12 species of antelopes, some smaller game, and an abundance of birds for which the park is most famous. If you’re lucky you can also spot cheetah and leopard but just a dozen are left in the whole park though
I was able to spot most of the animals but no elephants (and no cheetah or leopard). The herds were too close to the Burkina Faso border and at the time of visit the park rangers didn’t allow to go there due to the area not being safe.
Normally I try to visit transborder nomination at least 1 location in each country. I'm not sure if I want to visit the parts in Bukrina Faso and Niger. I'm not sure if this adds anything rather …
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From Niamey, it was a few hour drive through pastoral countryside to Parc National du W. Unlike parks in East and Southern Africa, wildlife was widely scattered and difficult to see through the thick bush, but I found several antelopes (roan, oribi and western hartebeest were new for me), elephants, African buffalo and crocodiles. I stayed at Hôtel de la Tapoa, just outside the park entrance (it had a pool, cold water and good food, so more than I expected).
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We visited Pendjari NP back in Jan 2007 during a tour of Benin, Togo and B Faso. It was interesting to experience a West African “wildlife park” but our conclusions were very similar to those of the previous reviewer! The real interest in W Africa lies in its cultures and peoples and, apart from the bird life, one would not particularly recommend it as a wildlife destination in comparison with many others across Africa.
Mind you - we didn’t give it a great deal of time. We drove up in the morning from Boukambe at the edge of the Koutammakou area and arrived at the much hyped Tanougou Falls for lunch. My experience across many years is that dry countries tend to make too much of such “watery” locations which, elsewhere, would pass without much notice. I have seen the falls described as “a beautiful multi-tiered cascade that flows from the Atacora Mountains. They are the highest and most beautiful falls in Benin, attracting more tourists every year as they become better known.” A bit OTT – but they make a pleasant stop. Whether these lie just outside or just inside the park is not clear but there was a stone stating - “Pendjari - Man and Biosphere Reserve 16 Jun 1986”.
We then passed the official park entrance and made an afternoon game run taking in grassland, river, marsh and light/heavy forest. There was a lake with a few hippos in it (but …
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West Africa is not the right place to see animals. In most of the West African parks you can see practically nothing but the landscape. This was the case in Mole National Park of Ghana, where the most interesting animals we have seen were ants - forming a long strip on a lakeshore. Park W is much more difficult to reach than Mole, but as a reward, you can see some wildlife. Not comparable with the great East African parks, but at least there you can say, you were not sitting in a 4wd for days in vane. Because getting to the park is definitely not easy. First somehow you have to get to Niger -that can be a challenge itself. We tried to apply for a visa in Berlin, but were refused, so applied again in Accra where some "extra processing fee" helped us to get the visa of our dreams. Niamey is not a major transport hub, so finding a flight there is either difficult or very pricey. And that is also the case with onland transport, you either charter a 4wd, where prices reach the stars in the sky, or try to find a place in a bush taxi, what is exhaustingly slow, hot, and incomfortable. We chatered a 4wd for our round trip in West Africa, but the company refused to cross the Niger border with us. So our driver helped us in Malanville, the Benin side of the border to charter a bush taxi for …
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