Natural and Cultural Landscape of Ennedi Massif

There is an area of land that exceeds 35,000 square miles and is included in the Ennedi Plateau in Chad, where the Ennedi Massif lies. The site is notable in human history and culture because of the rock engravings that can be seen there. This is in addition to the site’s natural beauty and the uncommon variety of species found in the surrounding area.

Outline of Ennedi

• Ennedi is a massive outcrop of sandstone that has been sculpted over time by water and wind erosion and worn away by the elements throughout thousands of years
• Cliffs, valleys, arches, and pinnacles are all examples of the peculiar landforms that this process can leave behind
• Because water is continually moving through the canyons of the massif, it is possible for humans, as well as the flora and fauna that live there, to thrive
• Due to the location of the site in the Sahara Desert, it has remained hidden from view for a considerable amount of time. 

The Special Rock Art

• The Ennedi Massif is home to many distinct examples of rock art due to the proximity of water throughout its entirety
• Rock art in the Sahara that is considered among the most impressive may be seen in the Ennedi Massif
• It is possible to find petroglyphs, and examples of prehistoric rock art, all around the region
• It is possible to find numerous examples of it worldwide, carved and painted by hand into the rock in various locations
• Depending on where you search, the oldest ones in the vicinity range from 7,000 to 2,000 years old
• Some of them are even older than that. Depending on the source, one may view images in colours, including red, orange, or white
• You may view more of their paintings of exotic animals, such as crocodiles and horses, in this gallery
• Additional paintings of other dangerous animals, such as lions and birds, can be seen here. 
• The Niola Doa site, situated in the Ennedi Massif, was where parts of etched signs that resembled life-size female figures were discovered more than half a century ago.
• Niola Doa is a prehistoric art site uncovered by archaeologists approximately 7,000 years ago.

Creatures Found in Ennedi Massif

There are many different kinds of creatures that may be found in the Ennedi Massif region of Chad. In the region of the Ennedi Massif, you may come across one of the few desert crocodile populations that have survived to this day.

In the Middle Holocene, crocodiles from West Africa were found in the Sahara Desert. People could still live near the Sahara’s permanent presence a century ago. Since the first Archei Guelta crocodiles first appeared in the Ennedi Plateau in Chad, more than a century has passed.

What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? According to current estimates, 209 World Heritage Sites are ecologically significant. Natural beauty and cultural significance were considered, but only 38 were chosen. The Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve in the Republic of Congo is an example of a protected area.

Diversity

• A remarkable amount of diversity may still be found in the reserve’s unusual landscape, despite the overwhelming majority of the population of its animals
• More than 525 plant species and at least 199 bird species call this region home, and many utilise it as a stopover on their way from one continent to another
• The Barbary sheep, the Dorcas gazelle, the Striped Hyena, and the Desert Lynx can be found
• African Parks workers discovered the last North African ostrich colony north of Chad in Ennedi in 2018
• Ennedi is where these ostriches were discovered. It had been widely assumed for over two decades that the Ennedi Massif’s subspecies were extinct. Still, the recent discovery of approximately six individuals (males and females) in the northeastern area of the reserve has given specialists renewed hope that it will die extinct
• African Parks has set up video traps in the Ennedi Massif to learn more about the animals that live there
• The first 15 camera units identified 14 different species of wild mammals. The data will be analysed as rapidly as feasible, as soon as possible.

Conclusion

In the sediments of lake Ounianga’s bottom, specialists have found evidence of climate change that dates back more than 10,000 years. Ennedi rock art petroglyphs may give light on how this may explain the gradual advent of drought conditions throughout time. As a result of their efforts, UNESCO designated Ounianga and Ennedi as World Heritage Sites.