The West Africa features a number of the wildlife reserves in West Africa. The national parks might not be as popular as other destinations though the wildlife is equally as diverse at the same time you are less likely to be find the destination crowded. The region has some of West Africa’s best wildlife parks which we will only highlight a few;
1. Mole National Park, Ghana
Mole National Park lies in the northern region of Ghana and is the biggest National Park in Ghana. The park covers approximately 4, 577 square kilometers in the district of West Gonja as well as being a haven for a variety of species of mammals and birds. It is thus by not surprising that it Ghana National park values as being the most famous game park as well as the ideal toured of all national parks and reserves in Ghana.
The park is an essential water catchment area with smaller water streams as well as other rivers pouring their water in the White Volta. There is an estimated seven hundred and forty two species of plants and trees in the park of which 4 are endemic species and more than 20 are classified as rare species.
Tourists and guests are honored to spot a number of different wildlife from an escarpment at the motel. Over ninety mammal species have been recorded, notably elephants, monkeys, baboons, buffalos, warthogs, lions, leopards and other antelopes
More than nine species of amphibians; 33 species of reptiles and over 300 species of birds including the globally threatened fox kestrel, violet plantain-eater, Senegal parrot, yellow-billed shrike and red throated bee-ea
2. Réserve de Nazinga, Burkina Faso
Réserve de Nazinga is situated in southern Burkina Faso, a half-hour drive from Po. It was officially established in 1979 in an uninhabited area. The park extends over 133 km (to the border of Ghana), an area of 91,300 ha. It stretches over two provinces and Sissili Nahouri and is crossed by the river Sissili.
Its attractions are elephants; other wild animals are monkeys, antelope, crocodiles and a profusion of birds.
The best times to see them are December to April, although the chances of sighting are pretty good year-round.
3. Makasutu Culture Forest, Gambia
Makasutu Culture Forest is situated approximately five kilometers to the north east of Brikama which is a luxuriant green wilderness fed by a tributary of the Gambia River generally known as the Mandina Bolon. It is a private owned eco-tourist reserve that is usually accessible to the public for full or half-day cultural guided eco-tours of the forest. Within the reserve there is also five star luxury eco-tourist lodge called Mandina Lodges right on the tributary within lush bush mangroves.
Makasutu – means ‘sacred forest’ in Mandinka – as both an ecology project and a place for people to come and learn about the local cultures. Makasutu is a tropical one thousand-acre reserve encompassing five different eco-systems, including gallery mangroves, forest, palm forest, savannah and wetland. Wildlife is abundant with many bird species, monitor lizards, lots of baboons, vervet and red colobus monkeys and the infrequent crocodile and even the odd mongoose which can be seen on the riverbanks.
