Bandingilo National Park
The Bandingilo National Park, sometimes spelled Badingilo, is a national park located in South Sudan's Equatoria region. The park covered the erstwhile states of Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria. It was established in 1992. Situated in a wooded area near the White Nile river, it is over 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) in size. It also contains large marshlands stretching up into Jonglei state.
| Bandingilo National Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category II (national park) | |
Bandingilo National Park | |
| Location | Equatoria, South Sudan |
| Nearest city | Juba |
| Coordinates | 5°25′58″N 32°16′39″E |
| Area | 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) |
| Established | 1992 |
The world's second-largest annual animal migration takes place when multiple species of antelope, including Bohor reedbuck, tiang, and white-eared kob, move between Bandingilo Park and Boma National Park. In 2021 it was estimated the migration included 1 million kob and 200,000 tiang. The migration happens from January to June. The animals move from Bandingilo into Boma and the Gambella National Park in Ethiopia. Then the pattern is reversed from November to January.
The park is also home to the critically endangered species of the Nubian giraffe, Northeast African cheetah, and Northern lion. Additionally there are African wild dog, caracal, and spotted hyena. The park supports large bird populations, estimated to be 400 species in 2021. It has been named an Important Bird Area.
During the wet season, the grasslands are flooded. Then during dry season there is extensive burning. This helps maintain the grassland habitats.