Wildlife of Benin
Benin has varied resources of wildlife comprising flora and fauna, which are primarily protected in its two contiguous protected areas of the Pendjari National Park and W National Park. The former is known for many species of avifauna and the latter park is rich in mammals and predators. In addition, many other forest reserves are noted in the country but are not easily accessible, well protected or adequately surveyed for its wildlife resources. The protected area of Benin which is defined as a National Protected Area System is in northern Benin, mostly with a woody savanna ecosystem. It covers 10.3% of the nation and is part of the three-nation W-Arly-Pendjari Complex .
Forests of particular note are the riparian forests which form a dominant ecosystem, accounting for one-third of the estimated flora of 3,000 species in Benin. These forests are found along river banks consisting of semi-deciduous, dry, and open forest and woodland savanna. However, these systems have been subject to severe misuse by way of deforestation, which necessitated the enforcement of a law restricting cutting of these forests.
In south Benin, where malaria is a common disease as in the rest of Africa, medicinal plants are used for treatment as a form of traditional or alternative medicine.
National parks
W National Park
W National Park, IUCN Management Category II, a transboundary park among Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso, as a part of the Niger River, encompasses an area of in Benin. The "W" is after the W-shaped bends in the Niger River that borders the park and which is fed by the Tapoa River in the north, and the Mékrou River in the south. Its elevation is between. In addition, the buffer zones are the hunting zones of Mékrou,, Djona, and Kompa,, apart from transition areas in a zone. This area in the West African savanna belt covers terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems. Primarily of semi-arid to semi-humid Sudanese wooded savanna, 500 plant species have been identified. Sudanian savanna fauna consists of 70 diurnal mammals and more than 112 species of fish including the monkfish and sawback angelshark. The park has about 200,000 people living within it and on its periphery, which creates conflicts between park managers, herders and farmers.Pendjari National Park
The Pendjari National Park covers of the far north-west of Benin. Its buffer zones are the Pendjari that incorporates the hunting zones of Pendjari-Porga, Batia and Konkombri. Initially known as a forest reserve, it was declared a national park on May 6, 1961, after the independence of Benin. In June 1986, it was classified as a MAB Biosphere Reserve. The Pendjari River Valley was recognized as a wetland of international importance and designated as a Ramsar site in February 2007. The park is part of the W-Arli-Pendjari complex, a vast protected area in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. The hills and cliffs of the Atakora range make the northwest one of the most scenic areas of Benin. They provide a wonderful backdrop to the Pendjari National Park, which, in its isolation, remains one of the most interesting in West Africa.Riparian forests
Riparian forests in Benin are important conservation sites that need more care than is currently available. These forests, which are flood-dependent and the flora that is dependent on this source of water, are seen in many parts of Benin. In addition, forest and savanna species are also part of this ecosystem as they have a combination of plants from various forest and savanna types. Hence, riparian forests are more diverse than those of the single one-ecosystem-based vegetation. They also provide food for many animals and other forest species for survival.The riparian forests ecosystem is in a limited area and spread in a linear shape. The forests account for at least one-third of the estimated 3,000 species of flora of Benin, with several valuable, rare or even endemic species. These forests are woodlands of semi-deciduous, dry, and open forest, and woodland savanna that occur along riverbanks or streams. The physiognomy of this type of forest is highly variable with trees of average height of and some places as high as with dense understorey. Adjacent ecosystems also affect the vegetation in these forests.
However, this ecosystem of hydrophilic and edaphic freshwater forest is of general structural complexity and extent. It was in a state of extinction due to "shifting cultivation, grazing, selective cutting of valuable or rare tree species, roads and dams construction, and over-exploitation of non-timber forest products" to meet the basic needs of rural communities. These practices resulted in the degradation of the ecosystem of rare plants and animals. It reached a critical stage where indigenous multilayered plant communities became extinct in several areas with the resultant creation of open fields, shrubs or savannas of least value. Thus, the degradation of the ecologically rich system necessitated intervention at the Government level through enabling legislation to stop further damage to the ecosystem. The government of the Republic of Benin enacted a forest law in July 1993, under which the uniqueness of riparian forests as refuge ecosystem for plants and wildlife of many kinds was duly recognized. The enacted law stated that "clearance of wood and shrubs is not allowed within at both sides of any waterway. Moreover, in the management plans of most forest reserves in Benin, gallery forests are to be left uncut..." Rare species outside the gallery forests will not be cut either." Despite such legislation, enforcement is not effective. It is reported that uncontrolled illegal utilisation of forest resources continue, particularly in non-protected areas.
Fauna
Mammals
Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, African wild cat, African hunting dog, side-striped jackal, black-backed jackal, spotted hyena.Nocturnal predators include African civet, small-spotted genet, Cape genet, spotted-necked otter, honey badger, marsh mongoose, Egyptian mongoose, cusimanse, white-tailed mongoose, slender or pygmy mongoose, Gambian mongoose.
The parks and other areas are home to African bush elephant, rhinoceros and African buffalo and antelopes. Seventeen species have been identified, such as sitatunga, bongo and korrigum.
Other species of various status are grey duiker, bushbuck, Maxwell's duiker, red-flanked duiker, black duiker, yellow-backed duiker, grey duiker
- bohor reedbuck, waterbuck, Buffon's kob, roan antelope, western hartebeest, red-fronted gazelle and oribi.
Reptiles
Reptiles present include Nile crocodile, dwarf crocodile and chameleons in 100 colour variations.Tortoises include leopard tortoise, several species of terrapin and turtles – out of eight species of marine turtles four occur in Benin coast, namely, the green sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle and leatherback sea turtle. The indigenous hawksbill sea turtle is the source of traditional tortoiseshell.
Lizards are of two types which are both harmless; house geckos and skinks. Both are predatory species.
Birds
Birds are a special feature in all types of habitats ranging from rainforest to deserts in Benin, which have two main climatic zones, namely the thick tropical vegetation in the south and the dry savannas and light woodlands in the north. The birding sites for coastal waders are the coastal lagoons of Les Bouches du Roi and the backwaters of Ouidha beach. Water and forest birds occur in Lake Nokoué and Lake Ahémé. Feathered birds are found in granite rock hills near Dassa-Zoume. The national parks are full of savanna specific birds.The weaver species reported are: twelve species of weavers of family Ploceidae are found in Benin, out of the overall 111 of the genus Ploceus identified; they are larger than a sparrow, males are more colourful than female species.
Other reported species are Holub's golden-weaver, southern masked weaver, Vieillot's black weaver, black-billed weaver, grosbeak weaver, sparrow, buffalo weavers, dideric cuckoo, white-breasted cuckooshrike and African fish eagle.
Insects
Insect species found in Benin include the tsetse fly and many vectors of epidemic diseases.Flora
Dense forests are not recorded in Benin. Along the coastal areas coconut, palmyra palms, oil palms are seen up to Abomey, where after vegetation is savanna merged with that of Guinea and Sudan. Other tree species noted are West African ebony, shea tree, Bombax costatum, called the kapok or fromager tree, and Khaya senegalensis, the Senegal mahogany.The W National Park constitutes the southern limit of tiger bush plateau distribution. Riverine and gallery forests are noted on the banks of the Mekrou River, and other tributaries of the Niger River. The plains have an extensive coverage of grasses. The following are some of the plant species found in the savanna woodlands and grassland:Adansonia digitata, one of the baobabsAnogeissus leiocarpusCeltis spp., the 'hackberry'Clematis integrifoliaBoscia senegalensisBalanites aegyptiacaBombax costatum, the 'kapok' or Parkia biglobosa, the 'African locust tree'Bauhinia variegata, the 'camel's foot tree'Senna reticulataTamarindus indica, the tamarindTerminalia avicennioidesProsopis africanaPiliostigma reticulatum
In the evergreen gallery forests, the 'sausage tree' or Kigelia africana and Afzelia africana are found. Orchid species are also found here, which are Eulophia cucculata and Eulophia guineensis.
The Pendjari Park consists of grasslands which have no trees or shrubs, shrubs, savanna woodlands, forests along rivers, and shrubs The rocky cliffs of the Pendjari National Park are sparsely wooded. The Volta depression has savanna ecosystem with woodlands and rare species such as Burkea africana, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Detarium microcarpum, Lannea acida, Sterculia setigera, Combretum ghasalense and Acacia spp. On the deep soils of some of the summits and the Atakora escarpment, one finds a greater variety of plant species with Isoberlinia doka and Afzelia africana. The park includes both Guinea savanna woodland and Sudanian savanna, with areas of grassland dominated by Acacia sieberiana and Terminalia macroptera.
The most common species found in the riparian forests are: Pterocarpus santalinoides, Cola laurifolia and Syzygium guineense, out of which a few species are endemic and valuable.