Guelta d'Archei
Encyclopedia : G : GU : GUE : Guelta d'Archei
The Guelta d'Archei is probably the most famous guelta in the Sahara. It is located south-east of the town of Fada. The Guelta d'Archei is inhabited by several kinds of animals, most notably the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti). Middle Holocene remains, as well as rock paintings, indicate that this species used to thrive across most of today's Sahara desert and in swamps and rivers along South Mediterranean shores. The small group of surviving crocodiles in the Guelta d'Archei represent one of the last colonies known in the Sahara today; the Tagant hill's colony in Mauretania is claimed to be probably extinct since 1996.
The Guelta d'Archei is a barren place, away from beaten paths: it requires a 4x4 and is at least 4 days travel from n'Djamena, the Chad capital. The place depicted in the picture can only be reached by a few hours trek from the nearest point a 4x4 can approach.
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