Badingilo National Park

Badingilo National Park in South Sudan is an integral component of a larger 200,000 km2 ecosystem that stretches east through the Jonglei corridor to Boma National Park and north to the Sudd.

Badingilo National Park in South Sudan is an integral component of a larger 200,000 km2 ecosystem that stretches east through the Jonglei corridor to Boma National Park and north to the Sudd, an inland delta bordering the White Nile, one of two primary tributaries of the Nile River. This area contains the second largest land mammal migration in Africa, where each year hundreds of thousands of white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and reedbuck merge in Badingilo in the wet season for breeding before migrating north and east to towards the Sudd and Boma National Park and across the border to Gambella National Park in Ethiopia. After the wildebeest migration of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, these herds are the largest concentrations of large mammals left on the planet.

Badingilo spans 8,935 km2 and was established in 1986 initially for the conservation of black rhino, which today is locally extinct, and was once renowned for its richness of large mammals. Continuous armed conflict has severely impacted the lives of communities in and around protected areas in South Sudan, and as such, has resulted in significant pressure on the country’s wildlife and its habitats, including Badingilo. In order to ensure the long-term ecological, social, and economic sustainability of this globally important park, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan signed a 10-year agreement with African Parks on 25 August, 2022. Badingilo and Boma National Parks are the first to join the African Parks portfolio in South Sudan and bring the total number of parks under our management to 22 in 12 countries across Africa.

Badingilo Highlights

  • Badingilo supports part of the second-largest land-mammal migration in Africa, where hundreds of thousands of white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and reedbuck utilize the park for breeding on an annual basis before moving on to the Sudd and Boma National Park.
  • The park is a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an Important Bird Area (IBA).
  • In addition to white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and reedbuck, the park also supports and important population of critically endangered Nubian giraffe (sub-species of northern giraffe) which in 2010 was estimated at 670 individuals and would account for 25% of the worldwide population at that time.
  • Badingilo has a significant number of people living on its boundary who are composed of different ethnic groups, including the Dinka, Mundari, Pari, Lopit, Bari, Lokoya, Murle and others. Each of these groups have distinct traditions, culture, and livelihood activities.

On the Horizon

In Badingilo an opportunity exists to protect and develop the park to support both people and wildlife. Through effective management, infrastructure, law enforcement and engagement with local communities, the park has the potential to become a premier tourism destination for South Sudan. 

Partners

On 25 August, 2022, African Parks signed a 10-year management agreement with the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism to restore and develop Badingilo National Park, to become one of the leading wildlife sanctuaries in South Sudan. 

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