Deux Bales National Park

Deux Balés National Park in central-western Burkina Faso protects one of the most significant elephant populations in West Africa, with approximately 400 elephants using the park and adjacent Baporo Forest, along with hippopotamus, African buffalo, and a wide variety of savanna antelope, with the park gate and entry ticket office located at Boromo town on the N1 national highway where rangers and guides are available. The park covers approximately 6,350 square kilometres of Sudanian woodland savanna in the Mouhoun Province, taking its name from the two Balé watercourses that drain the area and provide seasonal water for the park’s wildlife. Deux Balés was gazetted as a national park in 2002 and is managed by the Direction Générale des Eaux et Forêts. At its peak Burkina Faso held the largest elephant population in West Africa, and the Deux Balés park forms a critical component of the cross-border elephant range that spans the border region between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

Visitors should note that Burkina Faso has experienced significant security challenges since 2022, with jihadist insurgency affecting large parts of the country and government travel advisories recommending against travel to many regions. The Boromo and Mouhoun Province area where Deux Balés is located should be assessed against current travel advisories before planning any visit, and the security situation is subject to rapid change. Check the most current advice from your government’s travel authority before considering a visit.

Elephants of Deux Balés National Park

The elephant population of Deux Balés and the adjacent Baporo Forest is one of the largest remaining in West Africa, estimated at approximately 400 animals and forming part of a transboundary population that extends into northern Ghana. The Burkina Faso elephant population as a whole was estimated to be among the highest in West Africa by the early 2000s, and Deux Balés holds a significant share of this total. The elephants use the park’s woodland savanna year-round, concentrating near the Mouhoun River and the Balé watercourses during the dry season from November to April when seasonal water points are depleted.

Game drives on the park’s track network during the early morning hours are the primary means of encountering elephant herds. Herds of 20 to 60 animals are regularly reported by rangers on patrol, and the dry-season concentration near water points makes the January to March period particularly productive for elephant observation. The elephants of Deux Balés are less habituated to vehicle traffic than those in more heavily visited East and Southern African parks, and approaching herds should be done cautiously with an experienced guide who can read elephant behaviour and identify any signs of agitation.

Hippopotamus in the Mouhoun River

The Mouhoun River (also known as the Black Volta) forms the western boundary of the park and provides the primary permanent water source for hippopotamus within the park area. Pods of hippos inhabit the deeper pools along the Mouhoun, visible from the riverbank in the early morning and evening hours when they are most active. The dry season concentrates hippos in the remaining permanent water and increases the reliability of sightings compared to the wet season when animals are more widely dispersed.

Nile crocodiles share the Mouhoun’s pools with the hippopotamus and are regularly seen on sandbanks and rock outcrops along the river margin. The combination of hippos and crocodiles in the same permanent water makes the Mouhoun sections of the park among the most productive for wildlife observation, and guides from Boromo know the main pools where animals concentrate. Evening visits to the riverbank from a respectful distance provide good viewing as hippos prepare to leave the water for their overnight grazing period.

African Buffalo and Savanna Antelopes

African buffalo herds are among the most commonly seen large mammals on game drives in Deux Balés, using the open woodland and grassland sections throughout the park. Herds of 30 to 100 animals graze across the savanna, and the large dung deposits and hoof-churned soil at watercourses indicate the regular movements of substantial herds. Kob antelope, one of the most abundant medium-sized antelopes in the Sudanian savanna belt, is present in the more open grassland areas and forms breeding leks during the dry season where males hold territories and females move through to select mates.

Roan antelope inhabits the woodland edge habitats and is present at lower density than kob. Waterbuck uses the riparian zone along the Mouhoun and its tributaries. Oribi, a small graceful antelope of open savanna, is found in the short-grass areas. Warthog is abundant across all open habitats. Common duiker, bushbuck, and bohor reedbuck complete the park’s antelope community, covering the range from open savanna to forest-edge habitats within the park boundary.

Lions and Carnivores at Deux Balés

West African lions are present in Deux Balés at low density, with the park forming part of the broader lion range in the WAP complex of transboundary protected areas that spans Burkina Faso, Benin, and Niger. The West African lion is now recognised as a genetically distinct population of significant conservation concern, with total numbers estimated at fewer than 400 animals across the entire West African range. Deux Balés contributes to this small total, though lion sightings for visitors are not predictable.

Spotted hyena is more commonly encountered than lion, particularly near the water points where they scavenge from kills made by other predators. African wild cat, serval, and caracal are all present in the park but largely nocturnal and rarely seen by day. Olive baboon is abundant and highly visible across the open woodland. African civet and common genet are present in the forest edge and gallery forest sections. Pangolin has been recorded in the park but is extremely elusive.

Birdwatching at Deux Balés National Park

The Sudanian woodland savanna of Deux Balés holds a productive bird community typical of this vegetation belt in West Africa. Abyssinian roller and lilac-breasted roller are both present in the open woodland, using exposed perches at the woodland edge. Northern carmine bee-eater nests colonially in earth banks along the seasonal watercourses and is one of the most visually striking species in the park. Helmeted guinea fowl are abundant across all open areas and provide a reliable sighting on any game drive.

The Mouhoun River adds waterbirds including African fish eagle, goliath heron, and African spoonbill to the species list. African open-billed stork feeds in the shallower river sections during and after the wet season when aquatic prey is accessible. Woodland raptors including African hawk-eagle, long-crested eagle, and brown snake eagle hunt the park’s woodland and grassland zones. The dry season from November to April is the most productive period for birdwatching, combining Palearctic migrants with active resident species in accessible, low-vegetation conditions.

Cost Breakdown for Deux Balés National Park

Best Time to Visit Deux Balés National Park

Getting to Deux Balés National Park

Boromo, on the N1 national highway between Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, is the park’s main entry point and is accessible from both cities. From Ouagadougou, Boromo is approximately 200 kilometres west on the N1, a drive of roughly two to three hours. From Bobo-Dioulasso, Boromo is approximately 120 kilometres east, about one and a half hours. The N1 is the main paved highway across central Burkina Faso and connects to both cities’ airports. From Boromo, the park gate and ranger headquarters are at the town edge where guides and entry tickets are available.

Burkina Faso is served by international flights to Ouagadougou’s Thomas Sankara International Airport from Paris, Addis Ababa, Casablanca, and several West African capitals. Most nationalities require a visa for Burkina Faso, obtained in advance. The West African CFA franc (XOF) is the currency. Current travel advisories for Burkina Faso must be checked carefully before planning any visit, as significant parts of the country are affected by jihadist insurgency activity and many governments advise against all but essential travel to large areas of Burkina Faso. The situation is subject to change and the Boromo and Mouhoun Province area should be specifically assessed against the most current advisories available at the time of planning.