Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves

The Air and Tenere National Nature Reserve, in Niger, protects the eastern half of the Air Mountains and the western edge of the Tenere desert, sheltering Sahelian fauna and flora isolated within a Saharan desert environment across about 77,360 square kilometers, making it the second-largest nature reserve in Africa. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger the following year, the reserve is recognized as an Important Bird Area for both resident afrotropical species and migratory birds from the Western Palearctic. Its mountains of blue marble give the landscape a distinctive character, and it supports 40 mammal species, 165 bird species, 18 reptile species and one amphibian species, including threatened dorcas gazelles, rhim gazelles and addax, though recent assessments have documented declining biodiversity amid civil unrest and mining pressure.