Wildlife of Niger

While the country is not lacking laws about water, forests and trees on arable land, flora and fauna, the main issue is of establishing proper implementation mechanism. A general sense of lack of any utility of the wildlife persists.[7]

However, some of the local people in some regions feel the need to preserve a few species of birds and sacred forests for posterity. In the Air Mountains near Tchirzorone, a local marabout (a religious leader)) prevents destruction of trees and animals. They are also preserved for their medicinal qualities. In fact, the arrival of Abdim's stork (Ciconia abdimii) is an indication of the arrival of monsoon season which farmers take as a signal to prepare their fields for the rains and new season crops.[7]

Its dependence on international institutions and NGOs for assistance for wildlife conservation is quite large as the finances of the state are inadequate to meet the annual expenses.[7]

Niger's climate, which dictates its wildlife distribution, is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south and data of Niamey is an indicator for the entire country. Drought conditions are quite common as the monsoon rainy season is short and its distribution in the three geographical regions vary.[9][10]

While average rainfall for the country is reported as 600 millimetres (24 in)—May to September—its incidence is heavy to the extent of 50 millimetres (2.0 in) per day causing much of the flows draining out in quick time as surface flow without enriching the ground water aquifer. This condition coupled with high temperatures cause drought situation in many years affecting the vegetation.[9][10]

Distribution of the rainfall varies across the country. In the northern Sahara desert region (covering about 50 percent of Niger) it is only 100 millimetres (3.9 in) or less annually, the Sahelian grasslands in the south receives 150–350 millimetres (5.9–13.8 in) during the monsoon months of June, July and August, and in the southern Sahelian zone, the annual rainfall varies between 350 millimetres (14 in) and 600 millimetres (24 in) during the monsoon months of June to September.[9][10]

Temperatures average between 30 °C (86 °F) and 50 °C (122 °F). Milder cold temperatures are reported during December, January and February. It is for this that the vegetation in the wildlife of the country richness is very limited; the Savannah region recording herbaceous species of plants and trees. The annual temperature variation between northeast and the southwest is 16 °C (61 °F) and 9 °C (48 °F) respectively.[9][10]

Elephants in the park

W National Park, encompassing an area of 220,000 hectares (540,000 acres), is located 125 kilometres (78 mi) south of the Niamey, the capital of Niger,[1][10] in the southwestern corner of Niger. This trans-border park has the affix of letter "W", as it is located in a bend of the Niger River which meanders in this stretch of the park to form the figure "W". As it is a transborder park, its management is under the control of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. It is home for four of the five big animal species – the elephant, lion, African buffalo and the leopard. Within the park, the savanna habitat extends over an area of 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi).[12]

The park is very rich in birds, with 450 species reported, which is said to be "one of the largest varieties anywhere on earth".[13] Hippos, jackals and many types of monkeys, snakes and reptiles are commonly reported.[14] It is a World Heritage Site and also a Regional Biosphere Reserve. It is reported to be last surviving population of the West African giraffe (Giraffa peralta).[15]

The Aïr and Ténéré Reserves of 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi) (Aïr is a massif and Ténéré is a desert area) have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, and were declared endangered in 1998.[1] It encloses both the eastern half of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the Ténéré desert.[16] It is the second largest nature reserve in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world.[17]

The reserve is rich in fauna and flora. Home to a dwindling population of ostriches, the Sahara conservation efforts are put in place to increase the number of this species in the reserve.[15] It encloses the Addax Sanctuary Strict Nature Reserve, established in 1988, as a core area, specifically to protect the addax (Addax nasomaculatus).[10] It is also identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area.[16]

A West African giraffe, also called the Niger giraffe, peeks from under an acacia tree in the tiger bush near Kouré, Niger.

The Termit Massif reserve has been under a decree since 2012. It encloses an area of 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 sq mi) area, which is the largest single reserve in Africa.[1] It has been a Saharan antelope conservation area since 1998 as it has a combination of desert and mountain habitats covering Saharan and Sahelian zones. The whole area of Termit Massif and Tin Toumma desert is considered a biodiversity hotspot. Its arid land fauna consists of addax and dorcas gazelles, cheetah, Barbary sheep and striped hyena, bustards (Nubian and Sudan) and spurred tortoises.[15] It is also the habitat for the critically endangered dama gazelle.[18]

The desert ecosystems dominates the land topography of Niger. In spite of this arid climate, it has 2,124 plant species of which 210 have nutritive value (particularly important during famine).[1] Floral vegetation in the wildlife of Niger is very limited due to the climatic conditions. The floral species reported in the Savannah region consist generally of Bombax costatum, one of the kapok trees; Adansonia digitata, one of the baobabs; West African mahogany (Khaya spp.) or African mahogany (Afzelia africana); shea tree species; the prickly grass, Cenchrus biflorus; and acacia trees.[8] The total forest area reported at 11.2 million ha is 8 percent of the land area of the country including 0.65 of classified forests.

Left: hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius); right: African buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

There are 3200 faunal species which includes 2021 insects.[1] The topographic and climatic conditions of the country has resulted in faunal species dominated by rare species such as African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), striped hyena, Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), waterbuck, African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), West African lion (Panthera leo senegalensis), antelope, common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), scimitar oryx (Oryx dammah), hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the Niger River, crocodiles, horned vipers, lizards, pythons, manatee, the endemic Nigerian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) which is endangered,[8][10] the Critically Endangered dama gazelle, which is the national symbol of Niger (named meyna or ménas in the Hausa language)[4] as well as Soemmerring's gazelle (Nanger soemmerringii), Grant's gazelle (Nanger granti) and slender-horned gazelle (Gazella leptoceros).

The population of the dama species, according to IUCN, declined from the stage of Vulnerable in 1986, Endangered in 1990 to Critically Endangered in 2006. Its numbers are low in the eastern Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve in Niger, and in the border region of Mali and Niger; this decline is attributed to loss of habitat and mostly to indiscriminate hunting.[19]

Four species of sympatric canids, the Egyptian wolf, Rüppell's fox, pale fox and fennec, two small cats species of Saharan sand cat and African wildcat, caracal, Striped hyena and Northeast African cheetah are also particularly reported from the Termit and Tin Toumma Reserves. To preserve the wildlife of this area, the Termit Reserve has been extended to include Tin Toumma region to cover an area of 100,000 km², the largest single reserve in Africa.[9]

Left: Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus); right: white-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis)

The number of avifaunal species reported is 528 to 530. Species of birds with the IUCN designations of Least Concern (LC), Near-threatened (NT), Vulnerable (VU) or Endangered (EN) are:[2]

Six raptor species are known. There are 41 migrant birds which visit Niger from Europe. Migrant birds are a common sight during the rainy season when the arid area turns into temporary wetland. The species types found are water birds and raptors. It is also noted that a few bird species such as nightingales and whinchats migrate during summer season to gardens in Europe.[18] The country does not have any endemic or near endemic species of birds.[11]

The notable reptiles are the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) and lizard species such as Varanus griseus and Varanus niloticus. Also reported are the python species Python sebae and Python regius. Tortoise species include the African spurred tortoise (Testudo sulcata); aquatic turtle species include Trionyx triunguis and Pelomedusa subrufa.[10]

A Nile perch (Lates niloticus)

The Niger River and Lake Chad are fish habitats. Lake Chad holds 85 fish species. The notable species is Nile perch (Lates niloticus), which has a rich economic potential. In the dry season, when the lake and water holes dry up, the fishes survive buried in the sands with a mucous protection membrane. Species of amphibians also survive in dry conditions by burying themselves in moist soil layers.[10]