Zakouma National Park in Chad stands as one of Africa’s most remarkable stories of transformation. Situated between the Sahara Desert and the lush rainforests of central Africa, the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem (GZE) is an important stronghold for Africa’s wildlife.
Map of Chad highlighting the regions where Zakouma National Park is located.
Spanning over 28,000 km², this vast and varied landscape is characterised by seasonal wildlife migrations, perennial river systems, and nutrient-rich floodplains. At its heart lies Zakouma National Park ̶ a remarkable conservation success story.
The Dark Days of Poaching
Between 2002 and 2010, Zakouma faced a severe crisis. 95% of the park's elephants were poached - almost 4,000 were slaughtered for their ivory, and poachers would often take out multiple family units at the same time. Not only were they destroying the parks wildlife, they were wreaking havoc on local people too.
A Turning Point: African Parks Steps In
In 2010, the Government of Chad entered into a long-term partnership with African Parks to manage Zakouma, conserve its biodiversity, and create support for surrounding communities. African Parks, on invitation by the Chadian Government, signed a long-term agreement to manage Zakouma and stop the bloodshed.
Read also: Exploring Chad's Fauna
In 2012, six rangers were gunned down execution-style during their morning prayers. But our rangers, with their indomitable spirits, didn’t give up. Since African Parks began its management partnership in 2010, a comprehensive conservation law enforcement programme supported by community engagement has substantially reduced the illegal activities in and around the park.
African Parks put in place a robust security regime and fitted GPS collars to elephants for staff to monitor herd movements and to deploy anti-poaching patrols to where the animals are. They introduced a radio system to keep patrols in contact with an operations centre and have two planes for surveillance and aerial monitoring.
Community Engagement and Support
Bremé and his staff of teachers and community workers were always aware that security was only one aspect of their work and that they needed the support of local communities if their conservation efforts were to be a success. They worked with local communities and were successful in getting them to agree to create wildlife migration corridors to ensure the free movement of migratory herds.
Along with providing law enforcement, we built ‘Elephant Schools’ for local communities, providing desks, blackboards and teachers’ salaries, helping more than 1,500 children get an education. We built airstrips, and VHF radios were installed so community members could contact our control room with information about any illegal activity. People were employed to help manage the park, making Zakouma one of the largest employers in the region.
The park helps to provide for the social, education and health needs of the local communities. A school building programme began in 2013, with 7 schools planned over a five-year period. "I spend a lot of time working to maintain relations between the park and those living nearby," Bremé explains. "It isn't always easy. Poaching has been a big problem, and there has been disagreement concerning the park's boundaries.
Read also: History of Cameroon Soccer
We buy supplies from the local communities where this is feasible usually meat and other foodstuffs, and try to have a positive economic impact upon the communities we visit. We work with Chadian drivers and guides, and at the end of each tour encourage our travelers to leave unwanted clothes that they can then distribute to their extended families.
The Miraculous Recovery
With peace restored to the region, something miraculous happened. Elephants were able to be elephants once again, and for the first time in years, they began to breed and raise their young. Because of their efforts and effective community work, only 24 known elephants have been lost to poaching since 2010.
The elephant population has increased by 40% since 2010, while numbers of other key species have increased or stabilised, highlighting the park’s growing ecological resilience. In early 2018, we counted 103 calves under the age of three. In 2011, we counted one. The elephant population has now surpassed 559 individuals and are on the rise for the first time in a decade.
With nearly a decade of zero elephant poaching in Zakouma, elephant in the region have begun moving consistently outside of the park in the wet season. Through analysing historical elephant movements from collar data, the conservation law enforcement team has identified key locations across the landscape from which to monitor wildlife and illegal activities. In addition, the data helps to identify possible human-wildlife conflict zones, so that preventive measures can be taken.
Expanding Conservation Efforts
In October 2017, we doubled our footprint around Zakouma by signing an MoU with the Government to manage the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes Siniaka Minia Faunal Reserve and other critical wildlife corridors. We’ve come a long way since 2010. Greater Zakouma Ecosystem covers an expansive 30,693 km2, of which 7,692 km2 includes Zakouma National Park (3,049 km2) and Siniaka Mania Faunal Reserve (4,643 km2). Both of these protected areas fall under the direct management of African Parks.
Read also: Ghana Soccer Jersey
Zakouma National Park is one of the last remaining intact Sudano-Sahelian ecosystems in Africa. Zakouma is the nation's oldest national park, declared a national park in 1963 by presidential decree, giving it the highest form of protection available under the nation's laws. Zakouma is Chad's oldest national park, established by the nation's government in 1963.
A Sanctuary for Wildlife
Thanks to its perennial water sources, Zakouma National Park serves as a sanctuary for West and Central African wildlife. Around 66 mammal species are found in the park, 16 of which are large mammals. Zakouma is home to a number of threatened or endangered species, including 50% of Africa’s Kordofan giraffe population, a critically endangered subspecies, Lelwel hartebeest, north-east African cheetah and Buffon’s kob.
Zakouma’s floodplains, rivers, marshes, and pans are valuable stopovers and breeding grounds for migrating birds. The south-eastern wetlands form part of the Inundation Plains of Bahr Aouk and Salamat Ramsar site - one of the largest in the world.
Zakouma National Park: where vision becomes reality
Challenges and Adaptations
In 2024, the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem (GZE) faced severe climate change impacts. A cycle of drought followed by extreme flooding put immense strain on wildlife. During the dry season, acute water shortages heightened pressure on wildlife.
In response, Zakouma’s park management implemented emergency measures, including supplying water to maintain key natural water points during the dry season. With Zakouma’s exponential increase in buffalo numbers, from about 220 animals in 1986 to over 15,000, over 900 buffalo were moved to Siniaka Minia National Park in 2022. Many came from a large herd that occupied the Tororo wetland on the park boundary, which was at risk of spilling over into agricultural lands to the north. Despite some losses during the mass translocation and to climatic effects in the region, the population in Siniaka has stabilised.
In 2023, five black rhino were moved from South Africa to Zakouma. However, sadly of the five, two were lost in 2024. One female died when she wandered away from permanent water in response to distant early rain, succumbing to dehydration. The park's last black rhinoceros were seen in 1972. During 2015-2016, African Parks initiated plans to reintroduce black rhinos to the park. On 6 December 2023, five more black rhinos arrived in Zakouma National Park, five years after the four black rhinos died.
Black Rhinos in Zakouma National Park.
Current Operations and Infrastructure
Horses are one of the most effective means of ground transport in the GZE when flooding during the rainy season makes movement too difficult by vehicle or even motorbike. To support the horse unit, regular specialised horseback and refresher training is undertaken, to ensuring a highly professional unit, both in veterinary and operational activities.
Elephant protection efforts expanded outside the park's boundaries in 2012, and an airstrip was constructed in Heban to make monitoring of the migrating animals easier.
In 2016, more than 5,000 locals stayed at the park's camps. Tinga Lodge, constructed by the government, opened in 1968 and houses up to 48 people.
Key Statistics of Zakouma National Park
| Aspect | Data |
|---|---|
| Original Park Designation | 1963 |
| Elephant Population Decline (2002-2010) | 95% |
| Elephant Population in 2002 | 4,300-4,350 |
| Elephant Population in 2011 | 1 |
| Elephant Calves in 2018 | 103 |
| Elephant Population Now | 559+ |
| Area of Greater Zakouma Ecosystem | 30,693 km2 |
| Area of Zakouma National Park | 3,049 km2 |
| Area of Siniaka Minia Faunal Reserve | 4,643 km2 |
Popular articles:
tags: #Chad
