Siniaka Minia National Park

A crucial protected area to secure vital migration corridors and range habitats for diverse species.

© Marcus Westberg

Located amidst awe-inspiring inselbergs and mountain formations, Siniaka Minia may be the youngest national park in Chad, but it is also the largest. It stretches across an impressive 4,158 km2 and is an integral part of the extraordinary landscape of the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem. The Siniaka and Tourda rivers meander through its savannah ecosystem, home to various species, including the Kordofan giraffe, red-fronted gazelle, buffalo, and large predators such as lion, leopard and cheetah.

Initially established in 1965 to protect the black rhinoceros, Siniaka Minia Wildlife Reserve struggled due to inadequate management, leading to the local extinction of the species in the late 1970s. After a successful partnership between the Chadian government and African Parks to manage Zakouma National Park, in 2017 the government invited African Parks to partner in the management of Siniaka Minia Wildlife Reserve as well as Bahr Salamat Wildlife Reserve (BSFR) and the adjoining wildlife corridors, thereby encompassing the entire Greater Zakouma Ecosystem (GZE) under this new mandate. In 2024, Siniaka Minia was officially declared a National Park.

Siniaka Minia Highlights

  • Siniaka Minia hosts iconic species representative of the North Sudanese domain, such as the Kordofan giraffe, buffalo, hartebeest, roan antelope, red-fronted gazelle, cheetah, spotted hyaena, lion, leopard and greater kudu.
  • In 2022, over 900 buffalo were translocated to Siniaka Minia from Zakouma in the largest-ever buffalo translocation.
  • There is a notable presence of sites of archaeological value.
  • So far, 12 schools are being built or supported, and girls’ education is being prioritised, with 143 girls receiving scholarships in 2023.
  • Support is provided to the neighbouring communities through educational programmes, development of income-generating activities and access to water.

On the Horizon

Siniaka Minia is a key part of the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, and as such is part of its greater Land Use Plan, which aims to safeguard core conservation areas for the benefit of the people that depend on this landscape for their survival. This is part of our aim to restore the park’s ecological functioning and integrity and create an operational base in the centre of Siniaka Minia to ensure effective management. By donating to African Parks, you are part of the restoration of the diversity of this region.

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© Marcus Westberg

Partners

Siniaka Minia National Park is managed by African Parks in partnership with the Government of Chad. In 2017, in addition to Zakouma National Park, African Parks signed a new partnership agreement with the government to manage the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes Siniaka Minia. In 2022, this agreement was renewed, and on 26 December 2023, the National Transition Council passed the law classifying Siniaka Minia as a national park. The law was promulgated on 9 February 2024, making Siniaka Minia officially Chad’s fifth and largest national park.