Elephants, buffaloes, hippos and lions
Parc de la Pendjari is located in the far northwest of Benin and is part of the larger Parc National du W. Named after the double bend in the shape of the 'W' in the Niger River, this park is the largest protected area in western Africa and stretches across 3 countries: Burkina Faso, Niger and Benin. A total of about 50,000 km² of protected area, of which Pendjari is approximately 5,000 km². Pendjari is open all year round, although access in the rainy season is very tricky. The most suitable period for visiting this park is between December and May. Elephants, buffaloes, hippos and lions live in both parks. But also cheetahs, wild dogs and the rare roan antelope are there. In Parc de la Pendjari there are several sacred waterholes where the beasts come to drink and the waterfalls of Tanougou, where you can freshen up.