WCS has announced a partnership with the Bauchi State Government in Nigeria to manage the conservation of Yankari Game Reserve, a popular tourist attraction and the home of a wealth of wildlife.

Located in the country’s northeast, the reserve covers 866 square miles and contains an estimated 350 elephants (the only viable population remaining in Nigeria), as well as lions, buffalo, hippo, roan antelope, and hartebeest.

WCS began supporting Yankari Game Reserve in 2009. Since then, protection of the wildlife there has improved, though unconfirmed reports in recent years suggest an unknown number of elephants have been killed to supply the illegal ivory trade. Going forward, WCS’s 96 Elephants campaign will also provide support for anti-poaching patrols, including everything from funding and equipment to training.

Read the press release >>