(Gambia)

Travellers to Gambia should leave their fear of crocodiles at home when visiting the small African state, where these snappish creatures are thought to bring luck.

Travellers to Gambia should leave their fear of crocodiles at home when visiting the small African state, where these snappish creatures are thought to bring luck.
Although hardly any wild crocodiles remain in the mighty Gambia River - after which the state was named - several families have committed themselves to looking after the three holy crocodile pools of the country. Even though theses large reptiles are getting more and more scarce, a number of other four-legged and feathered inhabitants can be found along the densely wooded river banks. More than 500 types of birds live in the treetops of the oil palms, acacias, tamarinds, ebony trees, mangroves, baobabs, dragon trees, kola trees and kapok trees. Baboons, long-tailed monkeys and even chimpanzees also move about beneath the dense foliage. Even dolphins are a common sight in the estuary of the Gambia River: entire schools of dolphins meet up here, in the shallow waters of the Atlantic. Various types of fish have also selected Gambia's coastline as favourite meeting place. The gigantic stone circles of Wassu, which can be compared to the Celtic models in Stonehenge and other parts of the British Isles are evidence of the early inhabitants of this smallest African state. It is still not clear, even today, what purpose these prehistoric monuments served. It is well known, however, why the white colonial masters erected buildings in the capital city of Banjul or on James Island: behind the walls of the prison island, imprisoned slaves awaited the ships which would transport them to America. This dismal part of Gambia's history is documented in the National Museum of Banjul.