Chad: Zakouma NP – Exploring the Park

There wildlife is everywhere in Zakouma National Park, socially during the dry season and around the open pans. There are buffalos, giraffes, and several species of antelopes. In fact, Zakouma is an antelope “crossroads” where species from the dry Sahel meet those from the wetter Sudanian savannas – roan antelopes, tiang, Defassa waterbucks (really numerous, unlike anywhere else in Africa), Buffon’s cob antelopes, red-fronted gazelles, Lelwel hartebeest, and also skittish bushbucks, and red-flanked duiker. There are also multiple primate species – olive baboons, paras monkeys, tantalus monkeys (these are like Vervet monkeys). Sprinkle other animals – like occasional hyena or genet during the day, many warthogs, mongooses. Oh, and the rivers are boiling with crocodiles, many of them sunning on the river banks with wide open mouths for thermoregulation.