20 | The Lion King
Country Focus
great beauty with striking colours and
shapes.
The saline, hyper saline and freshwater
lakes are supplied by groundwater and
are found in two groups 40 km apart.
Ounianga Kebir comprises four lakes,
the largest of which, Yoan, covers an
area of 358 ha and is 27 m deep. Its
highly saline waters only sustain algae
and some microorganisms. The second
group, Ounianga Serir, comprises four-
teen lakes separated by sand dunes.
Floating reeds cover almost half the sur-
face of these lakes reducing evapora-
tion. At 436 ha, Lake Teli has the largest
surface area but is less than 10 m deep.
With their high quality freshwater, some
of these lakes are home to aquatic
fauna, particularly fish.
Lake Chad
Lake Chad was once the centre of Af-
rica’s salt trade and one of the largest
freshwater lakes in the world. However,
it is shrinking fast. The best time to visit
Lake Chad is between August and
December when the water level is at its
highest. During this time, it is possible to
see hippos and crocodiles around the
lake.
of elephants and giraffes in the park.
Lions can also be sighted in their natural
habitat. Zakouma National Park also
has 226 documented bird species.
Lakes of Ounianga
Lake Ounianga in Chad has been
designated a World Heritage site, fol-
lowing the recommendations of IUCN
(International Union for Conservation
of Nature). The site includes eighteen
interconnected lakes in the hyper arid
Ennedi region of the Sahara desert cov-
ering an area of 62,808 ha. It constitutes
an exceptional natural landscape of
Lake Ounianga
