Discover the fascinating world of the West African savannah through the camera lens of the members of the 7x7 Family expedition.

This exhibition highlights the importance of biodiversity conservation and protecting endangered species such as the giant eland, the largest antelope in the world.

See more information about the individual photos here:

Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

The roan antelope is a species distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. While the populations in Southern and Eastern Africa are struggling and rapidly declining, the roan is among the most widespread species in the Western African savannahs. It is an emblematic antelope of the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal, which is one of the most important protected areas in Western Africa. This is even apparent from the name of the park, as the local communities call the roan antelope "koba".

Yellow-billed oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) and Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

Oxpeckers are small birds found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are of great help to mammals including antelopes because they remove ticks and other external parasites from their coats. You will often find them moving together with large herds of antelopes. Here the oxpecker is captured in flight leaving the roan antelope, one of the largest and still relatively common species of the West African savannah.

West African Nile monitor (Varanus stellatus)

This photo shows the West African Nile monitor, which is a reptile common across the West African savannah. With its impressive length of up to two metres, it is one of the largest lizards in the world. These monitors are mostly found in proximity of water, where you can observe them looking for food or basking on trees or rocks.

West African buffalo (Syncerus caffer brachyceros)

African buffalos are large ungulates inhabiting a significant portion of sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to the well-known black buffalos of Eastern and Southern African savannahs, the Western African subspecies is much smaller and has shorter horns. However, you would have to travel to the rainforests of central Africa to find the smallest African buffalo, the red forest buffalo. As you can see from the photo, the West African buffalo has a unique colouration, which can range from red to black.

Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

Warthogs are found throughout the entire sub-Saharan Africa, and they are among the most common species of the West African savannah. These herbivores live in groups of several individuals, and they are frequently found outside of protected areas. They do not fear to venture close to human settlements, where you can find them searching for food on the ground..

Western giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus)

This photo portrays a Western giant eland mixed herd, which is a typical social structure of this antelope. The core of the herd is formed by females and young, who are accompanied by several adult males, especially during the reproductive season. The activities of the herd are synchronized, and all members move, rest, and feed together. All small calves aggregate in "nurseries", guarded by older herdmates. 

Western giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus)

This photo shows one of the Western giant eland calves born this season. Giant elands reproduce once a year, and females give birth to a single calf after 8 months of pregnancy. Elands are born synchronously at the beginning of the dry season, so the best time to come to Senegal to admire the newborn calves is in December and January. Their age can be estimated based on the length of their horns. They are born hornless, and the horns do not reach the tip of the ears until four months of age. The calf in the photo is therefore about two months old.

Gambian sun squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus)

This rodent species is common throughout the African forested savannahs, both north and south of the equatorial rainforests. Gambian sun squirrels are mostly arboreal, and they only rarely spend time on the ground. They frequently approach human settlements, so you are very likely to meet them if visit the African savannah regions..

Common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

Although they once inhabited the majority of large rivers across Africa, the number of hippos is nowadays decreasing. With a surprising speed given their body size and an ability to chase rivals away from their territory, their attacks may be deadly. However, contrastingly to their dangerous side, hippos are greatly threatened animals. They are under significant pressure of poaching for meat and ivory, as well as the conflict with people for water resources, which is especially pronounced during the dry season.

Patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas)

Patas monkey is a primate species, which you can find across the African continent from Senegal to Kenya, and it is a common inhabitant of the Western African forest savannah. You will often see patas monkeys running around on the ground as their long legs make them exceptionally fast runners. A very close encounter with them is however quite unlikely because they rarely come into direct contact with humans.

Western giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus)

Both male and female elands have horns, which they use to defend their offspring and resources. Every animal in the herd has its own position within the hierarchy, and they fight with their horns to establish and maintain it. This requires training from an early age, as you can see in this photo of a young female practicing the use of her horns.

Western giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus)

This photograph portrays a young Western giant eland male. The age of an eland can be determined by the shape of its horns, and the fact that this male only has the first twist formed reveals that he is two years old. You can see a calf of less than two months of age standing in the background. Besides the elands, this photo shows their great friend, the yellow-billed oxpecker (Buphagus africanus), sitting on the male's head. This small bird helps the elands get rid of their external parasites.