Lake Léré

Lake Léré sits in the Mayo Kebbi basin in Chad's southwest, connected to the river system that runs into the Benue, and it holds West African manatees, an animal that is hard to see anywhere and is under pressure across its range. Hippos use the lake as well and waterbirds work the shallows. Fishing communities live around the shore, and the manatees are protected locally though sightings are rare. The lake sits below the Léré hills and is fed by seasonal streams off them, which is why its level swings so far between the wet and dry seasons.

What you actually see

• The manatees - the West African population living in the lake.
• The hippos - the animals sharing the water.
• The waterbirds - the species using the shallows and margins.
• The fishing communities - the villages working the shore.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. Water levels fall through the dry months. The rains from June raise the lake.

Honest expectations

Manatee sightings are genuinely rare and most visits see nothing but a ripple. There is no visitor infrastructure. Bilharzia is present in the water.

Nearby

Gauthiot Falls are nearby, and Sena Oura is west.