ABSTRACT
A large proportion of West African national parks lie in a narrow band close to the 1000 mm isohyet in areas where poor soils and human and animal diseases prevent extensive use by man (Figure 1). Many of these parks have similar management problems. I would like to discuss them using examples from two areas: the Baoule National Park and its surrounding reserves in Mali and the Pendjari and W. du Niger National Parks in the republic of Benin.
