The attack happened in the Koure Giraffe Reserve, an hour’s drive from the city of Niamey in the south east of the country. The governor of the region has said six tourists slain in the savage gun attack were from France. Their tour guide and driver, both Nigerians, were also killed.
A source on the ground said armed men descended on the tourist attraction on motorcycles before launching their brutal assault.
They suggested the gunmen had been lying in wait for the group and had ambushed them.
They said: “Most of the victims were shot dead and a woman who managed to escape was caught and slaughtered.
“On the spot, we found a magazine emptied of its cartridges.”
“We do not do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists.”
The governor of the Tillaberi region, where Koure is located, confirmed the tragic news.
Governor Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella said: “There are eight dead – two Nigeriens including guide and a driver, the other six are French.”
The group was gunned down at around 11.30am local time, according to a source.
The reserve is a famed tourist attraction and hailed as a well-preserved space where tourists can see giraffes roam in their natural habitat.
Niger is home to the last remaining population of the West Africa giraffe, also known as the Niger giraffe.
The subspecies of the giraffe is distinguished by its light-coloured spots.
Koure is popular with foreign tourists looking for an authentic safari experience in West Africa where they can get up close to the dwindling species.
One traveller who visited the reserve said it offers “one of the last chances to meet such great animals in their natural environment”.
This is a breaking news story…More to follow…