Dosso Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Dosso Partial Faunal Reserve is a nature reserve in the southwest Dosso Region of the African nation of Niger
. It is a Partial Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, established 1 January 1962. The reserve covers 3,065 square kilometres in the mouth of Dallol Bosso
valley, a seasonal wash and ancient riverbed running from the Azaouad
region, near where it reaches the Niger River
valley. It is situated near the W du Niger National Park.
The Dosso reserve exists to protect animals of the W Transborder Park complex, most notably African elephants, Hippos, a number of types of gazelles, and the West African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta). This reserve marks the southern end of the migration path of the last sustainable herd of West African Giraffe, who travel north to the region around Kouré
(some 80 km southeast of Niamey
) in the rainy season. The tiger bush
uplands around Kouré are not within a formal park, but are a center for tourism and Giraffe conservation, and the herds have protected status in Niger. The Dosso reserve provides forage and homes for the Giraffe in the dry season, and the area has restrictions on woodcutting and habitat damage which would effect Giraffe sustainability. NGOs near Kouré promoted woodcutting businesses in the late 1990s which have profoundly altered the habitat, and driven some Giraffe to raid local gardens for food, making the protections offered by the Dosso reserve crucial.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. It is a Partial Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, established 1 January 1962. The reserve covers 3,065 square kilometres in the mouth of Dallol Bosso
Dallol Bosso
The Dallol Bosso is one of two major seasonal river valleys in southwest Niger. The Dallol Bosso valley runs from the Azaouad area in the Sahara west and south through the Dosso Region where it reaches the Niger River valley.-Human habitation:...
valley, a seasonal wash and ancient riverbed running from the Azaouad
Azaouad
Azaouad, Azawad, or Azawagh is the collective non-officially recognized name for the main Tamashek-speaking parts of northern Mali, northern Niger, and part of southern Algeria. Azawad is mainly made up of Sahelian and Saharan vast flat lands inhabited by Tuareg nomads...
region, near where it reaches the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
valley. It is situated near the W du Niger National Park.
Faunal protection
Kouré, Niger
Kouré is a rural community located east of Niamey, the capital of Niger. The town lies on both sides of the road from Niamey to Dallol Bosso.Kouri is best known for West African Giraffes , endemic subspecies of West Africa....
(some 80 km southeast of Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
) in the rainy season. The tiger bush
Tiger bush
Tiger bush is a patterned vegetation community consisting of alternating bands of trees or shrubs, separated by bare ground or low herb cover, that run roughly parallel to contour lines of equal elevation...
uplands around Kouré are not within a formal park, but are a center for tourism and Giraffe conservation, and the herds have protected status in Niger. The Dosso reserve provides forage and homes for the Giraffe in the dry season, and the area has restrictions on woodcutting and habitat damage which would effect Giraffe sustainability. NGOs near Kouré promoted woodcutting businesses in the late 1990s which have profoundly altered the habitat, and driven some Giraffe to raid local gardens for food, making the protections offered by the Dosso reserve crucial.