W-Arly-Pendjari, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger, recognized in 1996 with expansions in 2017, is a vast savanna and forest complex across three countries, forming West Africa’s largest intact wilderness. Home to elephants, lions, and the last West African giraffes, its diverse ecosystems—woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands—reflect exceptional biodiversity amid a semi-arid region. This transnational site showcases the region’s natural heritage, preserved through cross-border conservation efforts despite growing human pressures.

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