Aïr mountains and the Ténéré desert formed the principal entry point into the Saharo-Sahekian bastion in African regions of Niger. Sanctuary of the Addax reserves the property for which this has become a heritage site of Unesco.

Unesco’s findings are that, ‘the Reserve of Aïr and Ténéré is the last bastion of Saharo-Sahlien wildlife in Niger.  The isolation of the Aïr and the very minor human presence are the reasons for the survival in this region of numerous wildlife species that have been eliminated from other regions of the Sahara and the Sahel….The property contains important natural habitats for the …Dorcus gazelle (Gazella dorcas dorcas); the Gazella leptoceros.. and the Addax ,screwhorn antelope, Addax nasomaculatus, . …fennec fox,.. Rüppells fox, ….the steppe contains species of Acacia ehrenbergiana, Acacia raddiana,..Balanites aegyptiaca, Maerua crassifolia, ….a dense ligneous stratum of doum palms, date palms, Acacia nilotica, Boscia senegalensis, Salvadora persica, and a herbaceous stratum with among others, Stipagrostis vulnerans….’.

It is a fact established by the descriptions of ancient texts that those plants, and wild life species which have gone into reserve forested region of world heritage sites today were a part of the primordial geography of yesterday. During the time of the Flood and Volcanic activities when people were forced to leave their deified land took with them seeds of all species which they valued much for survival of life on earth. This becomes evident when names of plants identify themselves with names of places from where migrants arrived in their new land with different plant and animal species.

Aïr—Ai or Ui, or Wi region

Ténéré—Tanais or Tyna or Ttirua near Ai/Wi

Acacia ehrenbergiana— Region of Erythraean Sea

Acacia raddiana— Region of Rhadia on the Gangetic Plain

Acacia nilotica— Region of Blue Lotus  or Nilotpala or the Ptolemais

Anciently ‘Horn of Africa’ was known to ancient world as regia-aromatifera ; this land was producing and exporting large quantities of myrrh; various kinds of acacias were exported to other countries. From this name of regia-aromatifera, modern Niger has received its name. While myrrh marks the ancient land of moeris(Meroe), acacia similarly identifies ancient Casia, frankincense identifies the land of ‘frank’ people, and cinnamon pinpoints the Chin people. Acacia itself discovers the ancient world and the Land of Punt that was so famous at that time for its sacred use by royal houses and temples.   Story of frankincense is linked Serpent Deities or the jinn that identifies the Serpent Plain or the Negev.

Dorcus—Means ‘Dakshina’, or ‘south’;

Gazelle—Gaga region, same as Gaza( a corrupt biblical name for Gaga), or the

river Ganges/

Leptoceros—Lata region

Addax— Region of Mt Ida/Udra

Nasomaculatus—Nyssa at the foot of the Mt Meru near Makkaswara in Baku.

Fennec—Marks the region of fana-fana, name of a people, name of a place and name of a tree.

Rüppells—Town of Rupa

Balanites—Region of Baal deities

Aegyptiaca—Region of Aegian-Petra

Maerua—Region of Mayura or Meoris or Mahri or Mayapura

doum palms—palms if Dan/Edomite region

date palms—Date produced in Jericho

Boscia senegalensis—Senani, Basa and Gola people

Salvadora—Alsanda

Persica—Prastha region/ Accesine/Arsciae  bank

Stipagrostis—Saptagira

Vulnerans—Veluvana.