Abokouamékro Game Reserve

Abokouamékro covers around twenty thousand hectares of savanna and gallery forest near Yamoussoukro and was set up in the 1980s as a stocked reserve, with buffalo, antelope, hippo and, most notably, white rhino brought from South Africa, an introduction outside the species' natural range. Management lapsed for long periods and the animal populations suffered badly. Rebuilding has been under way and the reserve takes visitors by arrangement.

The landscape

• The savanna - open grassland and gallery forest across the reserve.
• The introduced rhino - white rhino brought from southern Africa in the 1980s.
• The antelope and buffalo - the reserve's other stocked large mammals.
• The waterholes - points where animals concentrate in the dry season.

When to go

November to March is the dry season and the practical window, with animals at water. The rains from June to October make tracks difficult and grass high. Early morning is best.

Before you go

Populations were badly depleted during the years of lapsed management and numbers remain low. Access requires arrangement and a guide; there is no drop-in visiting. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Yamoussoukro is southwest, and Lake Kossou is west.