Travel Guide Parc National De La Comoé

Planned as early as 1926 and founded in 1953 under the name of "Bouna Reserve", the Comoé National Park (final name adopted in 1968) is one of the oldest natural parks in Côte d'Ivoire. It is located on the border with neighboring Burkina Faso, which currently poses security problems, but also not far from Ghana. With a total area of 1,149,150 ha, it is one of the largest protected areas in West Africa and is distinguished by its remarkable diversity of fauna and flora, due to the passage of the Comoé River which crosses it over a length of more than 230 km. Inscribed on the World Heritage List and designated as a biosphere reserve in 1983, the site was added to the list of World Heritage in Danger in 2003 due to uncontrolled poaching on the site, overgrazing by large herds of cattle, deforestation due to poorly controlled agriculture and poorly managed human occupation. Good news, however: since July 4, 2017, Comoé National Park is no longer on the list of heritage in danger since, according to Unesco, several emblematic species of the site that were thought to be extinct, such as the elephant and the chimpanzee, are gradually regenerating, particularly thanks to the efforts undertaken by Côte d'Ivoire to fight poaching.Several strategic locations in the park are exceptional observation points: the Great Plain, with antelopes such as hartebeest, but also the mounts Tehini, Boutourou, Yévélé and Wabelé, which offer breathtaking views.Security warning. The national park is currently classified as a red zone. It is therefore formally not recommended to go there at this time.