Fosse aux Lions National Park

Fosse aux Lions is a small park in Togo's far north near Dapaong, a block of gallery forest and savanna that despite its size holds a group of elephants that move between it and the Burkinabé and Ghanaian border country. There have not been lions here for a very long time despite the name. The forest along the watercourse is the densest part and the birdlife is good. The park covers around sixteen hundred hectares, which makes it very small by regional standards.

What you actually see

• The elephant group - the resident animals moving across the border country.
• The gallery forest - the dense growth along the watercourse.
• The savanna - the open woodland across the rest of the park.
• The name - a reference to lions long gone from the area.

When to go

November to March is the dry season and elephants concentrate near water. The rains from May make tracks difficult. Early morning is best.

Honest expectations

The park is very small and elephant sightings are not reliable. Human-elephant conflict with surrounding farms is a real issue. Infrastructure is minimal.

Nearby

Dapaong is north, and Kéran is south.