A solitary acacia in the Ténéré region of the Sahara desert.
The last remnant of a stand of acacias from hundreds of years ago, when the Sahara was wetter, the Tree of Ténéré was once the only tree for over 90 miles (150 km) in any direction. It served as an important waypoint for caravan travel through the desert, and appeared on maps as a marker, like a city. Camels were kept from eating its leaves, and branches were not taken for fuel. In writing, it was called "a living lighthouse". A well was dug at its base in 1938, and the tree's roots were found reaching the water table 110 feet (35 m) below.
In 1973, the Tree of Ténéré was knocked over by a lorry driver. Its remains were moved to the national museum in Niamey, Niger, where they rest in a concrete shell - and a bare metal sculpture was erected in its place.
