The Rigueik and Ibir floodplains are the centrepieces. As the pans shrink, thousands of animals gather — Kordofan giraffe, tiang, roan antelope, buffalo in herds of hundreds, and enormous concentrations of waterbirds including crowned cranes and black-crowned cranes.

The elephant herd is Zakouma's headline. Having been reduced by poaching from tens of thousands to a few hundred animals, the population is growing again, and the survivors have adopted the unusual defensive habit of moving as one enormous herd — often 400 or more animals together, which is a genuinely extraordinary thing to watch.

The river pools and gallery forest along the Salamat hold Central African species that most safari travelers never see: red-fronted gazelle, Lelwel hartebeest, and one of the last significant populations of the northern race of lion.

The quelea roosts and vulture concentrations late in the dry season are spectacles in their own right, with millions of small birds moving as smoke over the plains.

The park is open roughly late November to May, with March and April the peak for concentration — and the greatest heat.

Practicalities

Zakouma is managed by African Parks, whose anti-poaching work since 2010 is the reason there is anything left to see. Access is by charter flight from N'Djamena; there is no practical self-drive option for visitors.

Accommodation is limited to a handful of camps, with the seasonal fly-camp on the floodplain taking one group at a time. This is an expedition rather than a holiday: costs are high, comfort is basic, and you should take current travel advice for Chad seriously and discuss the security picture with your operator before committing.