2019-10-01 Wanderlust

AFRICAN

alternative

5 naturereserves

THEATTENBOROUGHONE

GolaForestNationalPark,SierraLeone

In1956,buddingyoungBBCproducer

DavidAttenboroughpresentedthe

groundbreakingseriesZooQuest,ilmed

duringhisexpeditioninsearchofthe

white-neckedrockfowlpicathartes–and

therestis(natural)history.Followinhis

footstepstoSierraLeone,exploringGola

RainforestandnearbyTiwaiIslandtospot

rareDianamonkey,chimpanzee,pygmy

hippoandtheelusivepicathartes.

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THEWILDONE

GorongosaNationalPark,Mozambique

Wildlifepopulationswereravaged

hereduringthecivilwarthatwracked

Mozambiqueinthe1970s,but

concertede’ortstorestoregameand

nurtureecotourismarenowpaying

o’.Aswellasgoodnumbersoflion,

elephant,crocodile,diversebirdsand

antelopes,Africanwilddogshavebeen

reintroducedandyoumightspot

curiousendemicssuchasthetiny

MountGorongosapygmychameleon.

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THEDRYONE

NamibNaukluftNationalPark,Namibia

Mostvisitorsheadforthevastapricot-

coloured,300m-highdunesandthearid

pansofSossusvleiandDeadvlei,but

thisremarkableplacehasmoretoo’er

thanjustInstagram-friendlyscenery.

Invariouspartsoftheparkyoumight

spotHartmann’smountainzebraororyx,

steenbokandostrich,soaringblackeagle

andchantinggoshawk,andthetenebrionid

beetlesknownastoktokkies.

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THEBIGONE

SelousGameReserve,Tanzania

Spanningsome50,000km2ofgrassland

andscrub,riverineforestandacacia

woods,lakesandrivers,Selousisreputedly

Africa’slargestprotectedarea,around

twicethesizeoftheSerengeti,although

muchiscurrentlyallocatedtohunting.Still,

it’shometolargepopulationsofbu’alo,

lion,hippoandpaintedwolf(African

wilddog).Fly-campingo’ersathrilling

wildernessexperience.

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THEREALLYSECRETONE

ZakoumaNationalPark,Chad

Chad,oneofAfrica’slargestcountries,

isalsoamongitsleastvisited–andnow,

withanFCOadvisoryinplace,evenfewer

peoplearediscoveringthebeautyof

Zakouma.Yet,thosewhogoregardless

canadmireavarietyofrarecreatures

includingKordofangira’e,CentralAfrican

savannahbu’alo,magniicentblack-

crownedcraneandblack-breastedbarbet.

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Dreamstime/Alamy/Shutterstock

Explore a quintet of lesser-

known wildlife destinations

ALTERNATIVE SECRET WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES

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