Burkina faso is a country that is largely covered by savannah as seen in the image above. Around 20% of the country is still covered in rainforest. This means that the range of wildlife is significant.

In the savannah parts of the country, lion (150 in the Burkina Faso section of the WAP complex – these are a part of the Asiatic lion subspecies (which is not restricted to India as former thought)), leopard cheetah, serval caracal and African wildcat. Even African wild dog still exist in the country (These are also found in the same WAP complex). The same complex also hosts the last cheetah of the country, but the number in the reserve is small, and may well not be genetically sustainable.

The African wolf is also found in this region (this species was at one time thought to be the same as the golden jackal, but instead it is a subspecies of the Eurasian wolf.

The WAP complex is the last section of a savannah ecosystem that used to be found in west Africa. As such, it houses much of the last remaining population of lions elephants wild dog (and a jumble of others)  found in west Africa. This population is in some ways essential, as many ecosystems across west Africa may well be recovered by reintroducing species lost, in order to refill holes in the species found in their own animal webs.

This makes the WAP complex an essential life boat for a variety of animals. With it surviving, these species can survive, and then small numbers translocated to other reserves in order to reintroduce them.

Arli National Park, existing since 1954 (see also Arly-Singou)

Deux Balés National Park

Kaboré Tambi National Park (formerly Pô National Park), existing since 1976

W of the Niger National Park, a transfrontier park existing since 1957

• Mare aux Hippopotames
• Arli National Park, since 2018
• Mare d’Oursi
• Bontioli Reserve, existing since 1957; 127 km2, located in the province of Bougouriba (southwestern part of the country)
  Madjoari Reserve, existing since 1970; 170 km2, located in the province of Tapoa (eastern part of the country)
  Singou Reserve, existing since 1955; 1926 km2, located in the province of Gourma (eastern part of the country)
• Partial Reserve of Arly, established in 1954, 900 km², province of Gourma (eastern part of the country)
• Partial Reserve of Kourtiagou, established in 1957, 510 km², in the province of Tapoa (eastern part of the country)
• Partial Reserve of Nakéré, established in 1957, 365 km², in the province of Bougouriba (southwestern part of the country)
• Partial Reserve of Pama, established in 1955, 2237 km², in the province of Kompienga
• Sylvo-Pastoral and Partial Faunal Reserve of the Sahel, in the very north of the country
• Nazinga Game Ranch (Ranch de Nazinga)

Burkina Faso also has a wide range of forests (listed below)

• Boulon Forest, province la province de la Comoé (Cascades-Ouest du pays)
• Deux Balés Forest, province des Balés (Boucle du Mouhoun), see Deux Balés National Park
• Dibon Forest, province du Tuy
• Dida Forest, province de la Comoé (Cascades-Ouest du pays)
• Diéfoula Forest, province de la Comoé (Cascades-Ouest du pays)
• Forêt classée de Babolo (Provinz Comoé, 5.5 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bahon (Provinz Houet, 16 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bambou (Provinz Houet, 18 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bansié (Provinz Houet, 3 km²)
• Forêt classée du Barrage de Ouagadougou (Provinz Kadiogo, 2.6 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bérégadougou (Provinz Comoé, 50 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bissiga (Provinz Oubritenga, 41 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bonou (Provinz Mouhoun, 17 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bontioli (Provinz Bougouriba, 295 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bougouriba (Provinz Bougouriba, 85 km²)
• Forêt classée de Bounouna (Provinz Comoé, 13 km²)
• Forêt classée de Dan (Provinz Houet, 43 km²)
• Forêt classée de Dem (Provinz Sanmatenga, 3.5 km²)
• Forêt classée de Dindéresso (Provinz Houet, 85 km²)
• Forêt classée de Gonsé (Provinz Oubritenga, 60 km²)
• Forêt classée de Gouandougou (Provinz Comoé, 95 km²)
• Forêt classée de Kalio (Provinz Sanguié, 120 km²)
• Forêt classée de Kapo (Provinz Houet, 99 km²)
• Forêt classée de Kari (Provinz Mouhoun, 130 km²)
• Forêt classée de Koa (Provinz Houet, 3.5 km²)
• Forêt classée de Kongoko (Provinz Comoé, 270 km²)
• Forêt classée de la Kou (Provinz Houet, 1.17 km²)
• Forêt classée de Koulbi (Provinz Poni, 400 km²)
• Forêt classée de Koulima (Provinz Houet, 21.5 km²)
• Forêt classée du Mare aux Hippopotames (Provinz Houet, 19 2 km²)
• Forêt classée de Maro (Provinz Houet, 500 km²)
• Forêt classée de Nabéré (Provinz Bougouriba, 365 km²)
• Forêt classée de Nakambé (Provinz Oubritenga, 980 km²)
• Forêt classée de Nasébou (Provinz Mouhoun, 140 km²)
• Forêt classée de Nazinga (Provinz Nahouri, 383 km²)
• Forêt classée de Niangoloko (Provinz Comoé, 66.54 km²)
• Forêt classée de Niouma (Provinz Passoré, 7.35 km²)
• Forêt classée de Ouilingoré (Provinz Boulgou, 68.5 km²)
• Forêt classée de Ouoro (Provinz Mouhoun, 140 km²)
• Forêt classée de Péni (Provinz Houet, 12 km²)
• Forêt classée du Pic de Nahouri (Provinz Nahouri, 8.36 km²)
• Forêt classée de Sâ (Provinz Mouhoun, 54 km²)
• Forêt classée de la Sissili (Provinz Sissili, 327 km²)
• Forêt classée de Sitenga (Provinz Kouritenga, 8.4 km²)
• Forêt classée de Sorobouty (Provinz Mouhoun, 58 km²)
• Forêt classée de la Source du Mouhoun (Provinz Comoé, 1 km²)
• Forêt classée de Sourou (Provinz Sourou, 140 km²)
• Forêt classée de Téré (Provinz Houet, 107 km²)
• Forêt classée de Tissé (Provinz Mouhoun, 215 km²)
• Forêt classée de Toroba (Provinz Mouhoun, 27 km²)
• Forêt classée de Tougouri (Provinz Namentenga, 0.4 km²)
• Forêt classée de Toumousséni (Provinz Comoé, 25 km²)
• Forêt classée de Tuy (Provinz Mouhoun, 500 km²)
• Forêt classée de Twéssé (Provinz Passoré, 4.9 km²)
• Forêt classée de Wayen (Provinz Ganzourgou, 120 km²)
• Forêt classée de Yabo (Provinz Sanmatenga, 10 km²)
• Forêt classée de Yakala (Provinz Boulgou, 16 km²)
• Forêt classée de Yendéré (Provinz Comoé, 7 km²)
• Forêt classée de Ziga (Provinz Oubritenga, 90 km²)
• Laba Forest, province du Sanguié (Centre-Ouest du pays)
• Logoniégué Forest, province de la Comoé (Cascades-Ouest du pays)
• Koflandé Forest, province de la Comoé (Cascades-Ouest du pays)
• Mou Forest, province du Tuy (Hauts-Bassins-Ouest du pays)
• Pâ Forest, province des Balés (Boucle du Mouhoun)