The Waza National Park – Cameroon (Central Africa)

The Waza National Park is situated in the Logone-and-Chari Division, in the Far North Region of Cameroon, somewhere along the road between the towns of Maroua and Kousseri. Established in 1934 as a hunting-free area, the park quickly garnered popularity and gained national park status in 1968. The park covers an area of 1,700 km² (660ml²), and was listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) biosphere reserve in 1979. To the west of the park is the town of Waza. Cameroon’s northern neighbouring country of Chad, is just 10km away from the park. The Yaéré floodplain marks the east and north-east of the park; while the Maroua-Kousséri road is to the west.

The park’s habitat is mainly in the “Chad depression”, with average elevation in the range of 300–320 metres (980–1,050 ft), though the highest elevation is up to 500m (1,600 ft), near Waza Village. The topography of the park, however, is generally flat. Sand dunes in the western area of the park denote past desert conditions.

The vegetation in the park is dominated by the transition zone between the Sahel and the Sudan savannah, containing acacia and open Yaéré savannah forests. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife species, including: lion, leopard, lyre-horned cob, olive baboon, patas, nocturnal aardvark; cheetah, vervet monkey, elephant, hyena, hartebeest, roan, Buffon’s kob, waterbuck, reed, gazelle, giraffe etc. The avifauna species inhabiting the park comprise geese, egrets, ostriches, herons, pelicans, jabirus and ibis.

The mammal population in the park is one of the largest in West Central Africa. Thirty species of mammals reside in the park. Elephants usually congregate at Mare aux Éléphants, a famous waterhole.  

The climate is mostly semi-arid, as the average annual precipitation is only 700mm (28 in) and erratic in character. The rainy months are June to October and the dry season is from November to May. The mean annual temperature is 28 °C (82 °F). The coolest month is December, recording a minimum mean monthly temperature of 16 °C (61 °F); and a maximum of 33 °C (91 °F). In April, just prior to the beginning of the rainy season, the minimum mean monthly temperature is 21 °C (70 °F) and the maximum is 41 °C (106 °F).

Waza park comprises a forest area that is open from November to June and wet grassland that is open from March to June. Accommodation is available at le campement de Waza.