Park management
The administration of the Niokolo Koba national park is in Tambacounda, 80 km away from the park and it is under the direct control of the Senegalese National Parks Directorate (DPNS). The DPNS is a part of the Senegalese armed forces, thus all organisations come under the military administration. The park is commanded by the warden and his deputy, who are named by the DPNS. The park employs around 82 rangers and technical workers. This number is insufficient for such an extensive area; therefore around 50 soldiers doing their national service are inducted to the park to help out. The park has an infrastructure of roads and ranger posts. In all there are 25 ranger posts, however with regards to the low number of employees and the low budget for running the park only 15 are actively used. 7 posts have gone completely. The rangers’ main job is to monitor the animals and control poaching.
In the framework of the international Guinea-Senegal park project ,Parc transfrontalier Niokolo-Badiar‘, financed by the European Union in the period 1995 – 2000, an education centre was built in the PNNK at the Dalaba ranger’s post. Dalaba is in the southern part of the PNNK, roughly 10 km from the border with