W-Arly-Pendjari Complex
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, the transnational extension of the West Niger National Park (Benin, Burkina Faso) covers a large area of intact Sudano-Sahelian savannah, with vegetation types including grassland, shrubland, wooded savannah and extensive corridor forests. It includes the largest and most important terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt. The site is a refuge for wildlife species that have disappeared or are seriously threatened in other parts of West Africa. It is home to the largest elephant population in West Africa and most of the typical large mammals of the region, such as African manatees, cheetahs, lions and leopards. It is also home to the only viable lion population in the region.