Tree of Ténéré, World's Most Isolated Tree

The Tree of Ténéré was once considered the world's most isolated tree before it was knocked down by an allegedly drunk Libyan truck driver in 1973. It was the only acacia tree within 250 miles and it served as a landmark on caravan routes through the Ténéré region of the Sahara in northeast Niger.


It was the last surviving tree of a group of trees that grew when the desert was less parched than it is today. The tree had stood alone for decades. During the winter of 1938–1939 a well was dug near the tree and it was found that the roots of the tree reached the water table 33–36 meters below the surface.