page_title: Wildlife of Niger
section_title: W National Park
hierarchical_section_title: Wildlife of Niger / National Parks and reserves / W National Park
caption_attribution_description: English: Elephants photographed in the Niger section of the Parc W du Niger complex of protected areas. Given the size a topography, this is likely a smaller river, not the Niger itself
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: 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 city of Niger, 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 and 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 buffaloes and the leopard. Within the park, the savanna habitat extends over an area of 10,000 km².
  The park is very rich in bird species, 450 species are reported, which is said to be "one of the largest varieties anywhere on earth." Commonly reported in the park are hippos, jackals and many types of monkeys, snakes and reptiles. It is a World heritage Site and also a Regional Biosphere Reserve. Home to the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis peralta, it is reported to be last surviving population of the West African race.
caption: Elephants in the park
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