Bambara Maoudé

Bambara Maoudé
Commune and village
View from an unpaved road in Bambara Maoudé
Bambara Maoudé
Location in Mali
Coordinates: 15°51′7″N 2°47′10″W / 15.85194°N 2.78611°W / 15.85194; -2.78611
Country Mali
RegionTombouctou Region
CercleGourma-Rharous Cercle
Area
  Total
1,370 km2 (530 sq mi)
Elevation
261 m (856 ft)
Population
 (2009 census)
  Total
16,864
  Density12/km2 (32/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)

Bambara Maoudé or Bambara Maoundé is a village and rural commune of the Cercle of Gourma-Rharous in the Tombouctou Region of Mali. The commune contains 44 villages and had a population of 16,874 in the 2009 census.

The commune includes Lake Banzena (15°40′00″N 2°35′30″W / 15.66667°N 2.59167°W / 15.66667; -2.59167) which serves as an important source of water for the Gourma elephants at the end of the dry season (April to June). The intense competition between elephants and cattle at the lake led to the death of 21 elephants in 2010. As a result, the World Bank is coordinating efforts to provide alternative sources of water for the cattle so that the elephants can have exclusive access to the lake.