Agulu Lake

Agulu lake lies in a basin among the hills of Anambra, and its interest is as much cultural as natural: the crocodiles living in it are regarded by the surrounding communities as sacred, associated in tradition with ancestors and with a legend of people transformed into the animals, and killing or eating them has been forbidden, which is why they have persisted here in an otherwise densely settled and farmed landscape. Fish in the lake are similarly protected in places. The lake is fed by springs and streams and surrounded by steep eroded slopes; gully erosion in this part of Anambra is severe and visible around the basin. There is no formal visitor provision.

The landscape

• The lake - the water in its basin among the hills.
• Protected crocodiles - the animals kept safe by local prohibition.
• Eroded slopes - the gullies cutting the hills around the lake.
• Shore villages - the settlements around the basin.

When to go

November to March in the dry season for the best access and clearest water; the rains worsen the erosion gullies and the approach roads. Mornings are best for seeing crocodiles at the surface.

Good to know

There is no visitor centre, boat service or path; arrangements are informal with local people. Crocodile sightings are not reliable. Erosion has damaged access in places. The lake is surrounded by settlement rather than wilderness.

Nearby

Awka lies northeast; Ogbunike caves are north.

Key facts