Pendjari National Park
Benin · Atacora · 200 m
Description
Pendjari is the best wildlife park in West Africa and part of the transboundary W-Arly-Pendjari complex listed by UNESCO. It holds the region's largest surviving population of West African lion, along with elephant, buffalo, roan, hartebeest, kob, hippo and one of the last cheetah groups north of the equator. Leopard are present but rarely seen. The Pendjari river marks the northern boundary against Burkina Faso, and the Atacora escarpment closes the south. Waterholes concentrate the game as the dry season deepens, and more than four hundred and sixty bird species have been recorded.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – March
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Pendjari game drives
- West African lions of Pendjari
- W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (UNESCO)
- Elephant herds at the waterholes
- Mare Bali & Mare Yangouali waterholes
- Pendjari birdlife
- Hippo pools on the Pendjari river
- Atacora escarpment scenery
- Cheetah and leopard sightings
- Savannah lodges & bush camps
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- COO