Pendjari National Park, National park in Atakora Department, Benin.
Pendjari National Park covers 2,755 km² in north-western Benin, adjoining Burkina Faso's Arli National Park. A flat sandstone and schist plain at 105–200 m is bordered to the south by the quartzite Atakora range, reaching 400–513 m. The Pendjari River, 200 of its 300 km inside the park, is the only permanent watercourse. A white gate with a green sign reading "PARC NATIONAL DE LA PENDJARI" marks the entrance.
The area began as a colonial hunting reserve and became the Pendjari partial faunal reserve in 1954, then a total faunal reserve the following year. It was renamed Pendjari National Park in 1961. UNESCO made it a biosphere reserve on 16 June 1986, and on 7 July 2017 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site within the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex.
Local communities maintain deep ties to the land and actively participate in the park's conservation work. Their presence shapes how the area is managed and respected today.
The park is best visited between December and May when weather conditions favor wildlife viewing. Visitors can join guided safaris or walking tours through the terrain.
The area holds one of West Africa's largest concentrations of elephants, which live alongside lions and hundreds of bird species. This combination of large predators and megafauna is uncommon in the region.
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