National Park of Upper Niger, National park in Kankan Prefecture, Guinea.
The National Park of Upper Niger stretches across woodland, bushland, and forest areas along the Niger and Mafou Rivers. The land is divided into a core protection zone for wildlife and a surrounding buffer zone where people carry out approved activities.
This area received protection in 1952 and became a national park in 1997. The designation helped safeguard one of Guinea's last dry forest sections from further loss.
People living in the buffer zone carry on traditional ways of using the forest, growing crops and collecting forest products as part of their daily lives. These practices shape how the landscape looks and how communities relate to the natural surroundings.
The park is best accessed from the town of Kankan, and visitors should expect rough conditions, especially during the rainy season. A local guide is helpful for exploring both zones and improving chances of seeing wildlife.
Lions returned to the park after 1997, migrating from the Tinkisso River region and establishing it as a key conservation site for these big cats. Today, visitors have the chance to witness the presence of these animals in a place where they had disappeared.
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