Bandia Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Thiès Region, Senegal
Bandia Nature Reserve covers 3,500 hectares of protected land with giant baobabs, thorny vegetation, and diverse African wildlife in natural conditions. The site also contains burial grounds and traditional structures set within the ancient trees and across the landscape.
The reserve was created in 1986 to protect and restore animal populations that had vanished from Senegal due to human activities. Conservation efforts over time allowed many species to return to this region.
The burial grounds and sacred baobabs within the reserve reflect local spiritual beliefs and how the landscape holds meaning for communities. These sites show how people have long connected their traditions to the trees and earth around them.
Visitors can explore the reserve using rented safari trucks and have daylight hours from sunrise to sunset to spot wildlife. A restaurant with a viewing platform provides a comfortable place to rest and observe the landscape and animals.
At a water source within the reserve, buffaloes and crocodiles gather while monkeys move through trees nearby. This gathering spot reveals how different species share space and depend on the same resources to survive.
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