(Posted 26th June 2024)
The recent aerial survey in the Boma Badingilo Jonglei Landscape conducted in collaboration with the South Sudanese Government, Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, and The Wilderness Project, confirm that the Great Nile Migration contains approximately six million migratory animals!
This is a critical first step in understanding what species exist here, their estimated numbers, where they move, and how best to protect them.
South Sudan’s remarkable natural heritage, a cornerstone of its future prosperity, faces significant vulnerability despite the current numbers. Commercial and unsustainable wildlife exploitation threatens this vulnerable system, jeopardizing migratory patterns, ecological integrity, and the livelihoods of local communities.
Comparisons with studies from the 1980s reveal substantial declines in sedentary species like elephant, warthog, cheetah, hippo, and buffalo.
Working with local communities to protect this vital ecosystem will help perpetuate this global phenomenon whilst also bringing about stability, safety and security and creating a sustainable future for the people who live in this area – many of whom are still recovering after years of war and disruption.
African Parks entered a long-term management agreement with the South Sudanese Government to manage Boma and Badingilo national parks in 2022. With these new findings, strategic plans and actions for wildlife management and ecosystem conservation can be implemented for the long-term benefit of the local communities that depend on these natural systems.
Along with our government and community partners, we are extremely grateful for the commitment and support of our donors including Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF), Fondation Segré, Hempel Foundation, Rainforest Trust, Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund (LRF), Wyss Foundation, and the European Union which have sustained management operations and infrastructure of Boma and Badingilo national parks thus far.
The African Parks Team
