Senegal is one of the west African countries is notable for its unique national parks, reserves and marine parks. Among these are the Langue de Barbarie National Park and Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary which provide wildlife habitat in the dunes and mangrove swamps surrounding the mouth of the Senegal River near picturesque city of Saint-Louis.
There are a large and diverse variety of plants to be found in the country. They are silk-cotton tree, bamboos, African teak, gingerbread plum, tallow tree, acacias, African locust bean, palm trees, kapok trees, baobabs, coconuts, mango trees and mangroves.
Wildlife
The list of animals in Senegal includes elephants, lions, hippopotamuses, buffaloes, leopard, hare, antelopes, chimpanzees, monkeys, warthogs, jackals, tortoises, lizards and snakes. There are several avian varieties in the country too. Most of them are migratory birds. Some of the names of birds that can be sighted in the country are quail, ducks, painted snipe, spatulas, osprey, sparrows, black rail, crowned ibis, little bee-eater, guinea fowl, bustard, cormorants and bihoreaux. The marine life off the coast of Senegal also offers a lot. Some of the commonly found species are swordfish, oyster, marlin, barracudas and tunas.
List of National Parks
The
Niokolo-Koba National Park
is a World Heritage Site and natural protected area in south eastern Senegal near the Guinea-Bissau border which protects a large variety of wild animals, including hippos, elephants, and lions. Largely undeveloped, the area is remote and lacks tourist infrastructure, but is a destination for specialty tours.
The
Basse Casamance National Park
, in the far southwest, includes both ecotourism and tropical forest excursions, and a popular coastal beach resort aimed at foreign tourism.
The
Saloum Delta National Park
is a large area of Mangrove estuaries and islands, visited by tourists for it wildlife, its cultural interest as the home of the minority Serer people, and its proximity to the tourist resorts of the Petite-Côte.
Smaller parks and reserves, like the
Guembeul Natural Reserve
in the center west or the Bandia Natural Reserve near Dakar exit primarily for the more conventional European tourist industry, resembling Wildlife Parks or zoos.
The Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary is found on the southeast bank of the River Senegal in Senegal, in northern Biffeche, north east of St-Louis. The park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting several species of water birds and also migrants. The sanctuary occupies 16000ha which includes wetlands, lake, water streams, ponds and grassland shores.
More than 400 species of birds are found in the park with regular sights of pelicans and flamingoes. Other birds in the park include Great egret, cormorant, purple heron, African Spoonbill and more.
