W National Park
Appearance
W National Park | |
---|---|
Location | Niger-Burkina Faso-Benin |
Area | 10,000 km² |
Established | August 4, 1954 |
The W National Park (French: "W" du Niger) is a major national park in Niger around a meander in the River Niger shaped like a "W". While most of the park is in Niger it also extends through areas of Benin and Burkina Faso. Its 10,000 km² is largely uninhabited by humans. The park was created by decree on 4 August 1954.
The park is known for its large mammals, including aardvarks, baboons, buffalo, caracal, cheetahs, elephants, hippopotamuses, leopards, lions, serval and warthogs.
The park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.