page_title: Wildlife of Niger
section_title: Legal provisions
hierarchical_section_title: Wildlife of Niger / Legal provisions
caption_attribution_description: Laundry service in the Niger River in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
context_page_description: The wildlife of Niger is composed of its flora and fauna. The wildlife protected areas in the country total about 8.5 million hectares, which is 6.6% of the land area of the country, a figure which is expected to eventually reach the 11% percent target fixed by the IUCN with addition of more areas under the reserve category. The dama gazelle has become a national symbol. Under the Hausa name meyna or ménas the dama appears on the badge of the Niger national football team, who are popularly called the Ménas.
  There are 136 mammal species in Niger, of which 2 are critically endangered, 2 are endangered, 9 are vulnerable, and 1 is near-threatened. One of the species listed for Niger can no longer be found in the wild. Bird Life International has reported 528 species of birds of which three are globally threatened and one is an introduced species; many species may be yet to be discovered in the rich avifauna seen here in spite of thin vegetation.
  Conservation of wildlife is ensured by laws and regulations enacted by the Government of Niger, which has enforced a permanent ban on hunting so that animals such as lions, hippos and giraffes are safe in the wild.
context_section_description: French colonial laws were the initial basis for environmental legislation. Hunting was officially banned in 1974. Over the years after independence, for conservation of wildlife, laws in the form of acts and regulations have been enacted and a large number of wildlife reserves and national parks have been established by the Government of Niger.
caption: The Niger River in Niamey, the capital city
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