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Pendjari National Park: Lions, Elephants & West Africa's Last Wilderness

Pendjari in northern Benin is West Africa's finest national park — protecting the region's last viable lion, elephant, and hippopotamus populations in a vast savanna beside the Atakora cliffs

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1
Pendjari Park Gate and Savanna
The 2,755 km² park protects the W-Arli-Pendjari Transboundary Complex – the largest protected area in West Africa and last refuge for the regional lion population
2
Lion Pride Tracking
African Parks manage Pendjari's lions with GPS collars — guides know where the prides rest on the savannah, making lion encounters almost guaranteed
3
Elephant at Bori Waterhole
The Bori waterhole draws huge herds during the dry season - elephants, buffalo, warthogs and waterbuck converging on a single point at dawn and dusk
4
Hippopotamus Pool
The permanent pools of the Pendjari and Mékrou rivers have large hippos undulating and displayed at territorial boundaries — a boat trip to see them up close
5
Atakora Cliff Scenery
The Atakora mountain range forms Pendjari's dramatic western border — craggy escarpments of ancient sandstone rising above the savannah, a landscape unique to West Africa
6
Night Game Drive for Leopard
Pendjari's night game drives sometimes reveal leopards, servals and African wild cats – the park's nightlife is extraordinary in an area with minimal light pollution