This may come as a surprise to children in secondary schools in Nigeria, but guess what? Kainji is not just home of the Kainji dam! Kainji Lake National Park is one of eight (8) national parks in Nigeria that is effectively protected and is arguably the largest wildlife park in the country!
It is located in the northwest central part of Nigeria between Kwara and Niger state and is about 6 hours by road from Abuja and 3 hours by road from Ilorin Airport. It is 340.82sq/km in totality and is separated into two distinct sectors namely Borgu sector with an area of 3970.02 sq/km and Zugurma sector with an area of 1370.80 sq/km respectively. The Park is a typical inselberg landscape with round hills wide pediments/plains separating them and incised river channels slopping down towards the River Niger valley.
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Kainji Conservation Park is home to a variety of animals like the roan antelope, water dog, baboon, patas, monkey, lion, python, Nile crocodile, leopard, hyena, buffalo, kob, cobra, green snake, bush buck, tilapia, hippopotamus, green monkey, genet, doves, guinea fowl, reed buck and ground horn bills. Others are secretary birds, oribi, grimms duiker, warthog, mongoose, stone partridge, snake head, hadada ibis, Bee eaters, electric cat fish and many more.
This beautiful place also boasts of a Wildlife Museum with an amazing collection of stuffed animals most of which are from animals that died from natural causes or were retrieved from poachers. On display are huge ostrich eggs, a giant stuffed crocodile, a huge ceiling-to-floor python skin, spiders, snakes and other reptiles preserved in jars. The hides of several animals are hung on the wall, alongside posters with inscriptions like “No hunting in the park”.
The park hospitality package includes a basic chalet, a restaurant, tour guides and cars for rent, but most importantly, functional mobile networks although you have tor make provision for your own internet serv
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