Zakouma National Park

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See also: 2006 Zakouma elephant slaughter


Map of Chad, with Zakouma National Park in red. Coordinates: 10°50′52″N, 19°38′52″E

Zakouma National Park is a national park, located between Sarh and Am Timan, in the south of Chad. Created in 1963, it was Chad's first national park, and has an area of almost 3000 square kilometres (1200 square miles). It is entirely surrounded by the Bahr Salamat Faunal Reserve.

Zakouma was neglected during the period of civil conflict, but a restoration programme, supported by the European Union, began in 1989 and is continuing in 2006. The area in and near the Park has seen significant reduction in certain wildlife species in recent decades. For example, elephant herds were substantial in number as recently as 1970 with an estimated population of 300,000; however, by 2007 the number had dwindled to about 10,000. The African elephant nominally has governmental protection, but the implementation practices of the government (backed with certain EU help) has proven insufficient to stop the poaching[1].

New tourist accommodation was opened in the Park, at Tinga, in 2003.

The fauna of the Park includes 44 species of large mammals, and 25 species of birds. In 2005, a study estimated the lion population of the Park to be about 120 while the number of elephants inside the park was counted at 3,885.[2]

Zakouma National Park has been nominated [3] by the Chadian Government to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.