Assagny National Park, National park of 19400 hectares in Grand-Lahou, Ivory Coast.
Assagny National Park is a protected area in Grands-Ponts dominated by brackish swamps and mangrove stands as its core landscape. Moist forests and coastal grasslands surround these waterlogged zones, extending toward the Bandama River and Ébrié Lagoon.
The protected area was created in 1981 as a national response to the need for wetland conservation. International recognition came in 1996 when it joined the Ramsar list, confirming its global importance for water-based ecosystems.
The park's name comes from the Azagny canal that links the Bandama River and Ébrié Lagoon. Chimpanzees live on an island reachable by pirogue, and tourism is permitted alongside research and spiritual activities. Local communities near Grand-Lahou take part in training programmes run by government bodies and international organisations to curb poaching.
The park lies between the Bandama River and the Ébrié Lagoon, crossed by the navigable Asagni Canal. The German-built Campement Hôtel, opened in 1984 with 16 rooms, has fallen into ruin since the 1990s. Access is easiest by boat from Grand-Lahou or along the coastal road to the north.
The park's chimpanzees live on an island reachable only by dugout canoe. A project to boost bay duiker numbers failed because pythons preyed on them. Four elephants moved at great expense from Daloa in March 2014 later escaped and returned to their original range.
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