African Parks brings new park under management

Great news! African Parks and the Presidency of the Republic of Benin have signed a long-term agreement to manage Pendjari National Park in Benin. The park is part of the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex which spans Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, and is the largest remaining intact natural ecosystem in the whole of West Africa. With an area of 4,800 km², Pendjari is home to iconic species including elephant, cheetah, lion, buffalo, antelope and a host of other wildlife. 

This critical landscape, however, faces several threats, including poaching and human pressure on natural resources. To counter this and rehabilitate the park, the Presidency of the Republic of Benin has entered into this long-term partnership with African Parks as one of its 45 flagship projects under its investment programme referred to as “Revealing Benin”.  Funding is being provided by the Government of Benin along with several other donors who are contributing initial start-up funds, including the Wyss Foundation who made a significant multi-year challenge grant to African Parks specifically to bring new parks under management.

"Pendjari National Park is an exceptional reserve, which requires us to act quickly to protect and revitalise it. Through this partnership, we intend to reveal its full potential” said José Pliya, Director of the National Agency for the Heritage and Tourism of Benin, in charge of the implementation of the project for the Presidency of the Republic.

The 10-year action plan includes securing the park through effective law enforcement and ranger recruitment and training; conserving and monitoring key wildlife species; developing and managing sustainable tourism; and working with local communities. Overall goals of the partnership include doubling wildlife populations, increasing tourism by 50%, and creating as many as 400 new jobs over the course of the agreement.

“Pendjari along with the WAP complex is arguably the most important wildlife area remaining in all of West Africa” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. “It’s a critical and progressive moment for conservation and the entire region; and we are honoured to enter into this partnership with the Government of Benin, to manage this extraordinary landscape for the benefit of both wildlife and the people of Benin”.

The addition of Pendjari National Park brings the total number of parks under management by African Parks to 11, covering six and a half million hectares, which is the largest amount of area under conservation for any one NGO in Africa.