Wildlife of Mali
The wildlife of Mali, composed of its flora and fauna, is widely varying from the Saharan desert zone (covering about 33% of the country) to the Sahelian east–west zone, to Mali, a landlocked francophone country in North Africa; large swathes of Mali remain unpopulated but has three sub-equal vegetation zones; the country has Sahara Desert in the north, the Niger River Basin at its center and the Senegal River on the south.
Along its course, the central southern region is the narrowest and is known as the Inner Delta or the Inundation Zone of the Niger, formed of 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi) of flood-plains, along a river length of 570 kilometres (350 mi); these form its wetlands of great ornithological interest.
[3] The Sahelian zone, widest in an east–west direction, has the Dogon plateau (777 metres (2,549 ft)) elevation) and the Hombori mountains (1,155 metres (3,789 ft), highest location in Mali) with the Inundation Zone of the Niger River located to its west.
[3] The zone also includes the Manding plateau (near Bamako, the capital of Mali) which is part of Fouta Djallon Mountains (700 metres (2,300 ft) elevation) of Guinea.
This forms the upper region of the catchment area that lies between the Senegal and Niger River systems.
There is hardly any wild life left in this park due to intense poaching of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, chimpanzees and lions.
[7] is in the south west bordering with Guinea which is a dry area between Mopti and Gao; it is home for desert elephants which move with change of seasons.
[5] The dominant vegetation in the inland delta of the Niger consists of hygrophilous grassland species of Eragrostis atrovirens, Panicum anabaptistum, Panicum fluviicola, Vetiveria nigritana, Echinochloa stagnina, wild rice Oryza barthii, Andropogon gayanus, Cynodon dactylon and Hyparrhenia dissolute.
Elephants in the Gourma region, known as the Sahelian herds of 360 to 630 numbers, migrate over 870 kilometres (540 mi) (round trip) during the dry season between Burkina Faso and Mali to lake areas and return to Mali during the rainy season.
[10] The African manatee (also known as the sea cow and West African manatee) is found all along the Niger River was hunted for meat in the past but its meat is now not marketed, which may be due its decreasing numbers or due to the legal protection given for its conservation.
[15] Other lizard species known in the Dogon Country of Mali are Agama sankaranica, Uromastyx geyri, Sphenops delislei, Trachylepis perrotetii, Trachylepis quinquetaeniata, Chalcides ocellatus, Chamaeleo africanus, Ptyodactylus ragazzii, Tarentola ephippiata, Tarentola annularis, Tropiocolotes tripolitanus, Latastia longicaudata, Varanus griseus, and Varanus niloticus.
[17] In Dogon country, amphibian species that are well known by the local Dogon people include the edible bullfrog Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Amnirana galamensis (Galam white-lipped frog), Phrynobatrachus accraensis, Hyperolius nitidulus (or Hyperolius viridiflavus), Amietophrynus xeros, Amietophrynus regularis, and Sclerophrys pentoni.
In Douentza, fish species that are commonly found in the market are catfish (especially Clarias and Bagrus spp.
[9] The threats to the wildlife of Mali are on account of deforestation (in 1997, the economic damage amounted to an estimated 5.35 per cent of GDP,[1]) intensive hunting pressure, proliferation of livestock farming, extension of agricultural land and also due to desertification (Sahara desert extending, erosion and drought due to climate change).
[2][7] Increased anthropogenic and livestock pressures, due to people moving to the southern part of the country and settling on river banks, has also compounded the threats.
Other significant contributors to biodiversity degradation relate to pollution, mining, crop cultivation and also indiscriminate traditional slash and burn farming.
In the past, the traditional practice of protecting the forests and its flora and fauna rested with the Village elders.
However, with Islam making inroads into the country, traditional rules have been relegated to a backseat and has resulted in over exploitation of the forest resources, which has been further aggravated by increased anthropological pressures.
[3] A major conservation effort has been launched with funding provided by the Global Environmental Facility (under the aegis of the UNDP) to be completed by 2014 with the objective of substantially increasing the area under protection estate and reinforce the management instruments to achieve effective protection area, particularly the southwest region in respect of endangered mammal species of Derby eland and the western chimpanzee.
