Sabou Crocodile Lake

Sabou keeps the same tradition as Bazoulé: a lake outside the village holds West African crocodiles that are regarded as sacred and are never killed, with a founding story about an ancestor whom the animals guided or saved. Because Sabou sits directly on the main road between Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso it gets more passing traffic than Bazoulé, and the setup is correspondingly more organised. The lake dries back considerably through the hot months, which concentrates the animals and is why the dry season is when they are most easily seen.

What you'll find

• The crocodiles - the animals living in and around the village lake.
• The sacred status - a tradition that forbids killing or harming them.
• The roadside position - a stop directly on the Ouagadougou to Bobo highway.
• The founding story - the account of the ancestor the crocodiles saved.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. March to May is extremely hot. The lake fills after the rains from June.

Practical notes

The crocodiles are fed and handled for visitors, and the practice attracts criticism. Fees and guide charges add up and are negotiated on arrival. It is more commercialised than Bazoulé.

Nearby

Koudougou is north, and Ouagadougou is east.