Ennedi Plateau
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The Ennedi Plateau, located in the North-East of Chad, in the Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region, is a sandstone bulkwark in the middle of the Sahara. It is assailed by the sands on all sides, that are pentrating in the deep valleys of Ennedi. Only the caravans manage to cross it and this makes the region an area subject to multiple influences.
In the area have been found examples of petroglyphs and rock paintings, like those of the "lost site" of Niola Doa. The Plateau has also a rich fauna, among whom can be found specimens of the Nile crocodile, once existing through all the Sahara. A striking characteristic of these crocodiles is the dwarfism developed due to their isolation, which make them unique (other such remnant populations are or were found in Mauritania and Algeria). They survive only in a few pools in river canyons in the area, such as the Guelta d'Archei, and are threatened with extinction. [1] The last lions in the Sahara also survived here, till they became extinct by the mid-20th century (the last lion was seen in 1940).[2] Also, any Scimitar-horned Oryx antelopes that might persist in the wild would most likely be found in the remote regions of the Ennedi Plateau.
