A fauna in danger
Although Senegal is not the most representative country for African wildlife, it is nevertheless easy to encounter goats, sheep and even dromedaries in the Sahel, as well as monkeys, warthogs and monitor lizards along the way or during a bush expedition. Lions, elephants and panthers, whose populations have been decimated by poaching and the irremediable loss of their habitats, remain extremely difficult to observe. To see them, you'll have to travel to the south-east of Senegal, to the Niokolo Koba National Park, which protects one of the last great expanses of bushland in West Africa. Like a Noah's Ark, this natural sanctuary, which has been on the World Heritage in Danger list since 2007, is home to a wide range of Sahelian savannahs, including 80 species of mammals such as Derby eland, the largest antelope species in Africa, hippotrague, buffalo and hippopotamus. As much of Senegal's wildlife has disappeared, private reserves such as Bandia and Guembeul have been created to reintroduce species such as the dama gazelle and Derby eland. They offer enjoyable safaris where you can see this African fauna, which has disappeared from the wild, living side by side with warthogs, green monkeys and patas. In the extreme south-east of Senegal, near Guinea, the Dindéfelo community nature reserve, still little known to tourists, is home to the Jane Goodall Foundation team working to protect the West African Chimpanzee(Pan troglodytes verus), of which there are barely 500 specimens left in Senegal. With respect for this endangered species, observations are organized with well-trained ecoguides.
An exceptional avifauna
Senegal is a real bird paradise and is prized by ornithologists from all over the world. And for good reason, more than 650 species have been listed there, of which nearly a third are migratory birds coming from Europe or Africa. From birds of prey to waders, passing by colorful species of beauty, you can observe, among others, ospreys, Abyssinian rollers, pink flamingos, spoonbills, sacred ibises, weavers, kingfishers, etc. We can also meet about twenty species registered on the world list of endangered birds such as the crowned crane, the lesser flamingo or the savannah bateleur. Between the many deltas, mouths and marigots that Senegal shelters, several sites are conducive to bird watching. The most noticed is undoubtedly the Djoudj National Park, the third ornithological reserve in the world, which becomes the sanctuary of migratory birds from Western Europe, between December and April. Pink flamingos, white pelicans and several species of wintering ducks, among others, arrive in whole colonies. The spectacle is grandiose, especially between January and February, when the park is home to millions of birds. Further south, the Sine-Saloum delta, one of the most important wetlands in West Africa, also offers an ideal refuge for birds, with its labyrinth of bolongs and its exceptional vegetation. The avifauna is varied with more than 400 species listed, most of which can be observed throughout the year. You can see ospreys, fishing eagles, pelicans, herons, egrets, redshanks and kingfishers. The site is also famous for hosting the world's first breeding site for the royal tern on one of the delta's bird islands. With its dense forests and labyrinth of inlets, the Lower Casamance is home to about 200 species of birds, including bulbuls, hornbills and cuckoos. Although its national park is still closed to the public, Casamance is a bird paradise everywhere, even if only in hotel gardens and campsites. There are many other observation sites in Senegal such as the Somone lagoon, the Magdalen Islands National Park, an ornithological reserve since 1949, or the Barbary tongue. Finally, if you open your eyes wide, you will easily be able to enjoy your stay.
A rich marine life
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean for more than 700 km, Senegal is renowned worldwide for its fishy waters, especially those around Cape Verde. Their richness is due to an oceanic phenomenon called upwelling, which is linked to the trade winds that move the surface waters out to sea and thus allow the deep waters, rich in nutritive salts, to rise. With the sunlight, plankton, the basis of the food chain, develop there, attracting a myriad of fish. Among the numerous species, we can mention captains, soles, sea breams, blue marlins, thiofs, barracudas, groupers, swordfishes or tarpons. Atlantic humpback dolphins and manatees, which are rarer, particularly appreciate the brackish waters at the mouth of the Sine, Saloum and Casamance rivers, where you may have the chance to observe them. The rivers and swamps are also full of freshwater fish such as hydrocyons, catfish or tilapia that sometimes cohabit with crocodiles and hippos.
A disparate flora
Senegal's varied ecosystems offer a panoply of landscapes, from desert to lush forest. As you descend from the north, thorn trees, acacias and baobabs appear, breaking the monotony of the Sahelian steppes. The savannah becomes increasingly dense in the south, giving way to tropical forests, mangroves and rice paddies. Cheese trees astonish with their trunks, flamboyants and bougainvilleas light up the winter with their fires; mango, banana, avocado and papaya trees delight the palate, especially in Casamance; palm trees (oil, roast, date) remind us everywhere that the latitude is intertropical. This entire landscape of vegetation takes on noticeable color in winter: trees and plants bloom, and the region takes on a much greener mantle. As for the mangrove, an ecosystem specific to the Sine-Saloum and Casamance regions, it develops at the mouths of rivers where the water is brackish. Although it may seem hostile to man, it is a refuge for many animal species, including mongooses, otters, monkeys and hyenas. But also crustaceans such as fiddler crabs, shrimps, cockles and the famous oysters that cling to the mangrove roots.
Mangroves, kings of the mangrove
Mangroves are several species of woody trees and shrubs that are the only ones to grow with their feet in salt water, thanks to their ability to adapt to the marine environment. Thriving along seashores and river mouths, they can withstand high water salinity and regular flooding thanks to their aerial roots. They are viviparous species whose seeds germinate on the tree before detaching and settling in the mud, enabling them to continue colonizing the banks. This diverse composition forms the amphibious forests known as mangroves. They also have the ability to absorb large quantities ofCO2 through their leaves, which act as carbon traps. To protect this ecosystem, which has disappeared by around a quarter since the 1970s, Senegal has been conducting one of the world's largest mangrove reforestation campaigns for over 10 years. Since 2008, no fewer than 100 million mangroves have been replanted, helping to combat global warming and regenerate fish stocks. A fine example that Senegal is setting for its neighbors, but also for certain Western countries.
The baobab, emblem of Senegal
Tree of the Bombacaceae family, the African baobab(adansonia digitata) grows throughout Senegal, especially in arid areas. This bottle tree can reach a height of 20 meters at its youngest age, but as it ages, it shrinks to the benefit of its trunk which can approach 30 meters in circumference. Three quarters of the year, this giant of tropical Africa lacks foliage, seems bare and the tangle of its branches makes it look as if it has grown upside down, with its roots saluting the sky. In Senegal, it is a multi-use tree with strong symbols associated with it, evoking life and death. Its fruits give a juice full of calcium and vitamins, the juice of bouye. Its leaves, fresh or dried, are used in local cooking or in the making of medicinal teas. Its bark is used to make ropes, baskets, hammocks and even clothes. Its seeds provide oil. However, under its elephantine appearance, the baobab hides an enormous sensitivity: its wood is soft, its trunk is often hollow. In Serer country, it was used as a tomb for griots, whose tradition was to be buried far from the cemetery. Much more than a symbol appearing with the lion on the Senegalese coat of arms adopted under Senghor in 1965, the baobab is a sacred tree that can watch over the savannah for over 2,000 years! Yet today, it is threatened with extinction throughout Africa, and Senegal is no exception. A victim of climate change, the baobab is also a victim of logging. Near Bandia, a project to extend a cement factory has caused the disappearance of one of the most beautiful baobab forests in Senegal, where only one fifth of its original area remains. The Casamance region is also the target of lucrative and illegal logging operations, the damage of which is visible in the regions of Kolda and Sédhiou. The Senegalese government will undoubtedly have to react quickly to curb this scourge before it is too late.
