Supporting the Recovery of Niokolo-Koba National Park: How IUCN Is Driving Conservation Action

A refuge for West Africa’s threatened wildlife

Covering nearly one million hectares of savannahs, forests, rivers and wetlands, the national park along the banks of the Gambia river has a very rich fauna, among them Derby elands (largest of the antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards and elephants, as well as many birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Over the last decade, the park has become a symbol of conservation recovery. Once facing severe declines caused by poaching, illegal activities and habitat degradation, Niokolo-Koba was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2024 following significant conservation efforts by Senegal, IUCN Members, and IUCN Commission Experts.

Guiding action through the IUCN World Heritage Outlook

As the official advisor for nature to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, IUCN regularly monitors World Heritage sites’ conservation status. The 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessed the site's conservation outlook as one of “significant concern”, identifying several priorities for action: strengthening ecological monitoring, reducing poaching and illegal resource use, controlling invasive species, improving fire management, addressing pressures from mining and agricultural expansion, and reinforcing governance both within the park and in surrounding community-managed landscapes. 

IUCN also recognized encouraging signs of recovery. Increased ranger presence and strengthened patrols covering almost half of the park in 2025 have helped stabilize wildlife populations, while systematic camera-trap surveys have confirmed positive trends for species such as buffalo, roan antelope, hartebeest, lions and wild dogs. These findings provide a scientific foundation for conservation planning and investment. 

The 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessed the conservation outlook of the Niokolo-Koba National Park World Heritage site as of “significant concern”, up from “critical” in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Source: IUCN 

Building local capacity through BIOPAMA 

A major contribution to this unique landscape’s recovery has come through the BIOPAMA programme, an initiative jointly implemented by IUCN and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre with financial from the European Union. 

The project focused on building the capacity of Senegal’s Directorate of National Parks (DPN) to conduct comprehensive and standardized surveys of wildlife and habitat conditions. Prior to these efforts, park managers often depended on external support for ecological information. The project equipped staff with tools, training and methodologies needed for long-term biodiversity monitoring and evidence-based decision-making. 

In 2024, Panthera, the DPN and the Zoological Society of London carried out one of the largest wildlife monitoring surveys ever undertaken in a protected area in Africa. Teams deployed more than 400 camera traps across the park, walking nearly 2,000 kilometres in difficult conditions. The survey is generating critical information on the distribution and abundance of mammals throughout the landscape while simultaneously collecting data on illegal activities and conservation threats. 

These efforts directly support one of the key priorities identified by the IUCN World Heritage Outlook: establishing robust ecological monitoring systems capable of guiding adaptive management and measuring conservation success. 

Improving livelihoods of around 250,000 people 

The Niokolo-Koba National Park sits at the heart of the Niokolo–Badiar Dulombi–Boé complex, an important ecological corridor spanning Senegal, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, covering nearly 30,000 km². While improved protection has helped wildlife populations begin to recover, many habitats continue to be affected by degradation, invasive plant species and human pressures. Landscape-level restoration efforts are therefore essential to ensure that conservation gains can be sustained over the long term.

IUCN is leading eleven implementing partners of the Integrated Programme for Conservation, Economic Valorisation and Resilience (PICVERT), funded by the European Union under the NaturAfrica initiative, which aims to reconcile biodiversity conservation, governance, and the development of green economies. By strengthening institutions, supporting sustainable value chains, and enhancing transboundary cooperation, the programme seeks to ensure the long-term protection of ecosystems while improving the livelihoods of around 250,000 people.

A new chapter: The GEF-8 initiative

The most recent addition to IUCN’s support portfolio is a newly approved Global Environment Facility (GEF-8) project. In June 2026, the GEF approved US$1.26 million for a new IUCN-led initiative designed to support biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and community resilience across the Niokolo-Koba landscape. 

Implemented by IUCN and executed by Senegal’s Directorate of National Parks, the project aims to restore 3,000 hectares of degraded ecosystems, improve the management of nearly 913,000 hectares of protected areas and promote sustainable practices across 5,000 hectares of surrounding landscapes. It will also strengthen ecological monitoring, participatory governance and local livelihoods. Approximately 2,000 people, including 1,500 women, are expected to benefit directly. 

Importantly, the project places communities at the centre of conservation efforts, recognizing that lasting protection of World Heritage values depends on linking biodiversity conservation with economic opportunity and social development. 

Saving West Africa’s threatened species

IUCN is also supporting species-specific conservation through the Save Our Species (SOS) programme, as well as through the dedicated IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and regular species assessments for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

One SOS-supported project, implemented by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), focuses on the conservation of African wild dogs in Niokolo-Koba. The park harbours the last remaining wild population of this species in West Africa, making its survival globally significant. The project is using innovative techniques, including camera trapping, genetic analysis from faecal samples and potentially GPS tracking, to better understand wild dog distribution and threats. The information gathered feeds into a National Action Plan designed to secure the future of the species in Senegal. The project also includes community outreach activities and efforts to address threats such as disease, habitat degradation and human-wildlife conflict. 

In 2016, IUCN uplisted the western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, reflecting the subspecies’ increasingly dire conservation status. The IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Great Apes is supporting this species recovery, including through a regional action plan 2020 – 2030, the A.P.E.S. Database, and as a partner in a project led by Zoological Society of London/UK Darwin Initiative, which aims to recover Niokolo-Koba by de-snaring, diversifying local people’s livelihoods, and building veterinary capacity to tackle rabies and respond to snares. In 2024, 178 chimpanzee nests were recorded in the park, with about 40 known adults. 

Working together for a World Heritage success story

The story of Niokolo-Koba demonstrates how effective conservation depends on long-term partnerships. Through the IUCN World Heritage Outlook, BIOPAMA, Save Our Species, PICVERT and the newly approved GEF-8 initiative, IUCN is helping bring together science, management, restoration, species conservation and community engagement into a coherent approach. While significant challenges remain, recent wildlife recoveries and strengthened management systems show that progress is possible. By supporting Senegal and its partners to protect this remarkable landscape, IUCN is helping ensure that Niokolo-Koba remains a stronghold for biodiversity and a source of pride for future generations in West Africa and beyond.