Tillaberi sits close to the Niger River, and the banks south of town are where the possibility of spotting wild giraffes has historically drawn passing travellers. The West African giraffe, a subspecies with a distinctive lighter colouring, was reduced to a handful of individuals in the 1990s before conservation efforts brought numbers back. The main herd has largely shifted to the area around Koure, closer to Niamey, but ask locally whether any animals have recently been spotted near Tillaberi.
Even without giraffes, the river banks are pleasant in the early morning and evening. Pirogues cross to the other side, fishermen work the shallows, and flocks of weaver birds colonise the riverside acacias. The light on the water at sunset is remarkable.