Our conservation work in Termit Tin Toumma, Niger
The magnificent Termit and Tin Toumma regions of Niger are amongst the most important regions in the Sahara for wildlife, being the last remaining stronghold in the entire Sahara for a suite of threatened desert species. ZSL has provided technical support to partners to assist with the establishment of a new protected area to ensure the continued survival of this unique ecosystem.
Why we’ve been protecting wildlife in Termit Tin Toumma, Niger
The Termit and Tin Toumma regions of Niger contain a large variety of desert habitats, ranging from mountains and valleys to grassy plains, open desert and sand seas. They are home to one of the most diverse biological communities remaining in the Sahara including some of the world’s rarest desert species.
The area contains one of the last remaining wild populations of the Critically Endangered addax and dama gazelle, the Saharan cheetah and Barbary sheep, the only known place on the planet where all these species can still be found in one place. The addax population found there is the largest remaining on earth and the survival of the species depends on efforts to protect and manage this area.
What our conservation work in Termit Tin Toumma, Niger has achieved
ZSL worked with the Sahara Conservation Fund and other partners for a decade to support their efforts to establish a vast new protected area in this region. ZSL primarily supported on establishing, conducting and providing training for a wildlife and habitat monitoring programme which provided vital data to support this process. These efforts were crowned on 6th March 2012 when the government of Niger gazetted the Termit Tin Toumma National Nature and Cultural Reserve in Niger. This magnificent Saharan ecosystem is now one of the largest protected areas in Africa at 100,000km2.
Partners and sponsors
- Sahara Conservation Fund
Urgent action to stop the devastation of critical species and habitats by helping people and wildlife live better together, is the only way to save the natural world we love and depend upon. That’s where ZSL comes in, and where you can play your part.