Wildlife of
Benin

Primary Threats

• Conversion of woodlands, savannas, and riparian habitats to cotton, maize, yam/cassava and other crops, particularly in central and northern Benin, fragments wildlife corridors and increases edge effects around Pendjari and W buffer zones.
• Broad loss and degradation of natural habitats through settlement growth, charcoal production, uncontrolled grazing, and drainage/encroachment into wetlands and floodplains; coastal lagoons and mangrove remnants are under pressure from shoreline development and sand extraction.
• Heavy reliance on fuelwood and charcoal drives widespread cutting of trees outside strict protected areas; illegal timber extraction and selective removal of valuable species reduce habitat quality and connectivity in classified forests and community lands.
• Poaching of ungulates and carnivores around and within protected areas (including snaring) reduces prey bases and can trigger carnivore declines; hunting pressure is often highest in buffer zones where enforcement is weaker and livelihoods depend on bushmeat.
• Trafficking in ivory and other wildlife products moves through regional routes; live animal and parts trade (including for traditional practices) can affect birds, reptiles, and mammals, compounding local poaching impacts.
• Elephants and other wildlife raid crops and damage property in communities bordering Pendjari and W, increasing retaliation risks and undermining local support for conservation where compensation/mitigation is limited.
• Urban wastewater, plastics, and agricultural runoff (fertilizers/pesticides from intensive farming, including cotton) contaminate rivers and coastal lagoons, degrading fisheries and wetland habitats used by waterbirds and nursery species.
• Altered fire regimes (late-season intense burns), wetland drainage, riverbank clearing, and small-scale water diversions change savanna structure and riparian habitats; fire can be used as a management tool but becomes damaging when uncontrolled or poorly timed.
• Overharvest of fuelwood, non-timber forest products, and local fish stocks in lagoons and rivers reduces ecosystem resilience; grazing pressure can deplete ground cover and accelerate erosion in northern savannas.
• High fishing pressure in coastal lagoons and nearshore waters, including fine-mesh nets and weak enforcement, reduces fish biomass and affects wetland-dependent livelihoods and biodiversity.
• Rapid growth around Cotonou and other southern cities drives lagoon infilling, sand mining, and conversion of wetlands for housing and infrastructure, narrowing habitat for migratory and resident waterbirds.
• Road expansion and associated settlement development increase access to remote habitats (facilitating logging/poaching), while roads near protected areas raise wildlife mortality risk and fragment movement routes.
• Greater rainfall variability, hotter temperatures, and more frequent drought/flood extremes stress savanna water availability, intensify wildfire risk, and exacerbate coastal erosion and saline intrusion affecting lagoons and mangroves.
• Risks include spillover between livestock and wildlife at park edges (e.g., through shared water points and grazing) and disease impacts on threatened carnivore populations; surveillance capacity can be limited in remote zones.
• Aquatic and wetland invasives (notably water hyacinth in waterways) can choke channels, reduce oxygen levels, and degrade lagoon and river habitats, affecting fisheries and bird foraging areas.
• Localized quarrying and sand extraction (especially in the south/coastal zone) can damage wetlands and coastal systems; small-scale extraction pressures can accumulate where governance is weak.
• Unregulated tourism, fishing camps, seasonal livestock movements, and resource collection in buffer zones increase disturbance, especially around water sources critical to wildlife in the dry season.