Gadabedji Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Gadabedji Total Reserve (Réserve totale de Faune du Gadabedji) is a nature reserve in the central region of the African nation of Niger
. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 76,000 hectares within the northern tip of the Maradi Region, just north of the town of Dakoro
, and south of the border with the Agadez Region.
ian wooded steppe and grassland, south of the Air Mountains
.
and Dama Gazelle
populations which have largely disappeared due to local population pressures. In the 1940s, the area was along an important migration route for the animals from the Tenere desert to the Adar
in the south of the country. It remains a transhumance route for domesticated cattle and camels, as well as some wild Dorcas and Ménas Gazelles The reserve is a proposed site of future Oryx reintroduction.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 76,000 hectares within the northern tip of the Maradi Region, just north of the town of Dakoro
Dakoro
Dakoro is a town and commune located in the Maradi Region of Niger....
, and south of the border with the Agadez Region.
Geography
The reserve, originally established 25 April 1955, by Law No. 3120/S.E. is also a 'fôret classée'. It covers a small area of SahelSahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
ian wooded steppe and grassland, south of the Air Mountains
Aïr Mountains
The Aïr Mountains is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara desert...
.
Animal population
Gadabedji Total Reserve was planned to protect Sahelo-Saharan antelopes, mainly the Scimitar-horned OryxOryx
Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
and Dama Gazelle
Dama Gazelle
The Dama Gazelle is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa in the Sahara desert and migrates south in search of food during the dry season. Their habitat includes open steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, and deserts, while their diet includes grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, and...
populations which have largely disappeared due to local population pressures. In the 1940s, the area was along an important migration route for the animals from the Tenere desert to the Adar
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
in the south of the country. It remains a transhumance route for domesticated cattle and camels, as well as some wild Dorcas and Ménas Gazelles The reserve is a proposed site of future Oryx reintroduction.