In 1972 the Malian State, anxious to preserve the faunal heritage of its country, created an autonomous structure called Operation Development of the National Park of the Baoulé Loop and its Adjacent Reserves (OPNBB), responsible for ensuring their management.

In July 2001, UNESCO, faithful to its ideals of research on the understanding of biophysical, socio-cultural, educational and economic processes in ecosystems, included the Boucle du Baoulé Biosphere Reserve in a Regional Project, the purpose of which is to conserve, use and support biodiversity in six West African Biosphere Reserves.