Niokolo-Koba National Park

🇸🇳 Senegal

🐊 Riverbanks Teeming With West African Crocodiles

🌍 #35 Global · 4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #23 in Africa #24 in Savanna & Grassland

Senegal, Senegal 899 spp. recorded

Niokolo-Koba National Park is a vast protected area in southeastern Senegal, featuring open tropical savanna, wooded grasslands, and broad river floodplains along the Gambia River. Visitors walk through tall grasses, gallery forests, and seasonal wetlands under the African sun.

13.075° N 12.770° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

60–70% · Likely

Roan Antelope

Hippotragus equinus

50–60% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

30–40% · Possible

West African Crocodile

Crocodylus suchus

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Long-tailed Glossy Starling

Lamprotornis caudatus

80–90% · Very likely

Red-throated Bee-eater

Merops bulocki

80–90% · Very likely

Green Monkey

Chlorocebus sabaeus

80–90% · Very likely

Guinea Baboon

Papio papio

70–80% · Very likely

Hamerkop

Scopus umbretta

70–80% · Very likely

African Palm-Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

70–80% · Very likely

Black-billed Wood-Dove

Turtur abyssinicus

70–80% · Very likely

Western Grey Plantain-eater

Crinifer piscator

70–80% · Very likely

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

Senegal Coucal

Centropus senegalensis

70–80% · Very likely

Vinaceous Dove

Streptopelia vinacea

70–80% · Very likely

Hadada

Bostrychia hagedash

70–80% · Very likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

60–70% · Likely

Roan Antelope

Hippotragus equinus

50–60% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Green Monkey

Chlorocebus sabaeus

80–90% · Very likely

Guinea Baboon

Papio papio

70–80% · Very likely

Northern Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

60–70% · Likely

Kob

Kobus kob

60–70% · Likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

60–70% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely

Western Red Colobus

Piliocolobus badius

60–70% · Likely

Red-Flanked Duiker

Cephalophus rufilatus

40–50% · Likely

African Civet

Civettictis civetta

30–40% · Possible

Banded Mongoose

Mungos mungo

30–40% · Possible

Oribi

Ourebia ourebi

30–40% · Possible

West African Large-spotted Genet

Genetta pardina

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Long-tailed Glossy Starling

Lamprotornis caudatus

80–90% · Very likely

Red-throated Bee-eater

Merops bulocki

80–90% · Very likely

Hamerkop

Scopus umbretta

70–80% · Very likely

African Palm-Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

70–80% · Very likely

Black-billed Wood-Dove

Turtur abyssinicus

70–80% · Very likely

Western Grey Plantain-eater

Crinifer piscator

70–80% · Very likely

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

Senegal Coucal

Centropus senegalensis

70–80% · Very likely

Vinaceous Dove

Streptopelia vinacea

70–80% · Very likely

Hadada

Bostrychia hagedash

70–80% · Very likely

Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

60–70% · Likely

LADO

Spilopelia senegalensis

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

West African Crocodile

Crocodylus suchus

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

West African Banded Cobra

Naja savannula

30–40% · Possible

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

Insufficient data

Rainbow Agama

Agama agama

Insufficient data

African Redhead Agama

Agama picticauda

Insufficient data

Senegal Soft-shelled Turtle

Cyclanorbis senegalensis

Insufficient data

Antillean House Gecko

Hemidactylus angulatus

Insufficient data

Helmeted Turtle

Pelomedusa subrufa

Insufficient data

Senegambian Wall Gecko

Tarentola senegambiae

Insufficient data

Sierra Leone Wall Gecko

Tarentola parvicarinata

Insufficient data

Senegal Chameleon

Chamaeleo senegalensis

Insufficient data

Chevron-throated dwarf gecko

Lygodactylus gutturalis

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Galam white-lipped frog

Amnirana galamensis

Insufficient data

Crowned bullfrog

Hoplobatrachus occipitalis

Insufficient data

Natal Puddle Frog

Phrynobatrachus natalensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Dry Season Waterhole Concentration

Feb

As interior pools dry up in February, large mammals such as the Roan Antelope and Common Warthog congregate around the remaining permanent water sources.

Roan Antelope

Hippotragus equinus

50–60% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely

🐦

Riverine Bird Breeding Peak

Apr

During the dry-season contraction of water levels in April, the African Fish-Eagle and the Giant Kingfisher engage in intense hunting and breeding activities along the shrinking channels.

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

Giant Kingfisher

Megaceryle maxima

50–60% · Likely

🦎

Wetland and Floodplain Foraging

Nov

Following the rainy season, receding floodwaters in November prompt specialized birds like the Egyptian Plover to feed extensively on exposed sandbanks and mudflats.

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

Egyptian Plover

Pluvianus aegyptius

60–70% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

Common Hippopotamus

70–80

80–90

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

50–60

30–40

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

10–20

40–50

10–20

10–20

30–40

20–30

20–30

30–40

40–50

10–20

West African Crocodile

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

80–90

30–40

Long-tailed Glossy Starling

90–100

90–100

70–80

60–70

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

90–100

80–90

70–80

80–90

Red-throated Bee-eater

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

90–100

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

90–100

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

50–60

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

80–90

70–80

60–70

70–80

African Palm-Swift

60–70

90–100

80–90

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

40–50

70–80

Black-billed Wood-Dove

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

Western Grey Plantain-eater

70–80

80–90

60–70

80–90

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

40–50

70–80

African Fish-Eagle

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

80–90

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

40–50

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

90–100

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

80–90

60–70

50–60

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

Animal Events

🦌 Dry Season Waterhole Concentration

🐦 Riverine Bird Breeding Peak

🦎 Wetland and Floodplain Foraging

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class

🐊 Riverbanks Teeming With West African Crocodiles

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

591

🐒 Mammals

164

🦎 Reptiles

106

🐸 Amphibians

38

899 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

38 Threatened 5 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

77%

📊

Coverage (226 species at ≥5% of 899 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

25%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)

47% Global avg

37%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

169

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

29

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

64

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