ZAKOUMA NATIONAL PARK

There are more than five hundred elephants in Zakouma National Park, forming one of the largest populations in Central Africa. They’re an impressive sight to behold, but what’s surprising is not just the size of the herd. It’s the fact that there are any elephants left in Zakouma at all. Until 2010 this wilderness area in Chad was effectively under siege from heavily armed poaching groups who, in the space of just a decade, reduced elephant numbers in the park by 90 percent. But then the Chadian government took the bold move of handing over management of Zakouma, and the wider ecosystem with its migratory corridors, to the non-profit conservation organisation, African Parks. And now, some of the best-trained, best-equipped rangers on the continent patrol here, with the result that poaching within the park boundaries has fallen to near zero and wildlife populations, so long in steep decline, are finally improving. Once on the brink of destruction, today Zakouma is the safari destination of choice for those in the know. <a href="https://medium.com/@responsible_travel/zakouma-national-park-1aeb6cf50548">Visit Now</a>