Yankari Game Reserve is a large wildlife park and former National Park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in northeastern Nigeria.

 It covers an area of about 2,244 km2 (866 sq mi) and is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna. Its location in the heartland of the West African savanna makes it a unique way for tourists to watch wildlife in its natural habitat. Yankari was created as a game reserve in 1956, but later designated Nigeria’s biggest national park in 1991. It is the most popular destination for tourists in Nigeria and plays a crucial role in the development and promotion of tourism and ecotourism in Nigeria. It is also a popular eco-destination in West Africa. 

In 2006, Yankari lost its status as a National Park following a request of the Bauchi State Government.

Yankari Game Reserve is an important refuge for over 50 mammal species including African bush elephant, olive baboon, patas monkey, Tantalus monkey, roan antelope, hartebeest, lion, African buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and hippopotamus. The lion population is on the verge of extinction. There are also over 350 species of bird found in the park. Of these, 130 are residents, 50 are Palearctic migrants and the rest are intra-African migrants that move locally within Nigeria. These birds include the saddle-billed stork, Helmeted guineafowl, African grey hornbill, and the cattle egret.

Since 2005, the protected area is considered a Lion Conservation Unit together with Kainji National Park. Given the gap between the reserves, moving lions between the reserves would require human intervention. 

Below is a list of any links we have to allow you to book your trip (these may take a while to create).