The elephants
Among trees.
Fatakaya — CC BY-SA 4.0 · YACOUB DOUNGOUS — CC BY-SA 4.0 · YACOUB DOUNGOUS — CC BY-SA 4.0 · YACOUB DOUNGOUS — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fatakaya — CC BY-SA 4.0
Zakouma National Park is a 3,000 square kilometre park in south-eastern Chad, straddling the Guéra and Salamat regions. It is the country's oldest national park, declared by presidential decree in 1963. It is one of the most successful elephant conservation stories in central Africa, with large numbers of animals. Its wildlife long suffered from poaching and the ivory trade. Since 2010 a non-profit organisation has managed it with the government, equipping rangers with tracking and radio gear. Thanks to this, elephant numbers have risen again. Giraffes, buffalo, antelope and many birds also live here. You see plains of golden grass and scattered trees, giraffes walking among them and elephants feeding on branches. The camp has thatched-roof lodges and a broad veranda over the pools. In the dry season animals gather around the water and are easy to see. It is about 71 km from Am Timan in a straight line. Visits are usually on organised trips with the park's lodges, and it closes in the rainy season. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to most of Chad, including this area, so read the current advice before you plan.
Among trees.
On the plains.
In the dry season.
South-eastern Chad, between Guéra and Salamat
In the dry season, as it closes in the rains.
Yes, the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the area.