BOUHEDMA WILDLIFE
Top wildlife species
The Bouhedma National Park in pre-Saharan Tunisia incorporates the largest remaining indigenous Acacia Raddiana savannah in North Africa and is home to an astonishing range of wildlife. To find out more about each species, and the best locations to see these in the wild, click on the cards below.
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African Golden Wolf
CANIS ANTHUS
With the disappearance of Barbary lions, leopards, and the decline of striped hyenas, the African golden wolf—now properly classified—has become the region's dominant predator.
Striped Hyena
HYAENA HYAENA
This elusive, nocturnal and little-known scavenger is among Tunisia's more secretive carnivores. Shaggier than its spotted relative, it is more solitary and timid and rarely seen on safari. But with their numbers falling fast, any encounter with these majestic animals feels like a privilege.
Scimitar-horned oryx
ORYX DAMMAH
Scimitar-horned Oryx are impressive antelopes, with a powerful, robust physique and elegant markings set off by backward-curving horns reminiscent of scimitar swords.. Adapted to arid habitats, they cut a distinctive dash in some of Africa’s harshest landscapes. Historically native to North Africa, now extinct to the wild but they have been reintroduced into protected areas like Bouhedma.
Dorcas gazelle
GAZELLA DORCAS
In the sun-dappled savannah, Dorcas gazelles move with effortless grace, their slender legs carrying them swiftly across golden grasslands, where they browse on hardy shrubs and thrive in the shimmering heat, a symbol of resilience in this ever-changing landscape.
North African ostrich
STRUTHIO CAMELUS CAMELUS
The majestic North African ostrich, one of the largest living birds and now critically endangered, is back in Bouhedma since 2019. As one of the four remaining subspecies, it stands out as the most robust, uniquely adapted to endure the harsh arid landscapes with remarkable resilience to water scarcity.
North African wildcat
FELIS SILVESTRIS LYBICA
Elusive and rarely seen, the North African wildcat, a member of the "Secretive Seven", is believed to be the ancestor of domestic cats. It carries an ancient legacy in its sleek, agile form. However, its future is threatened by hybridization with domestic cats, posing a risk to its pure lineage and the survival of this remarkable species.
Giant Cricket
EUGASTER GUYONI
Among the stones and dry grasses of Bouhedma, the giant desert cricket Eugaster guyoni stands out with its striking armoured appearance and powerful presence. As night falls, it fills the savannah with a rhythm that shifts with temperature, making the cool nights sound different from the warm evenings—a remarkable voice of the drylands’ hidden biodiversity.
Addax
ADDAX NASOMACULATUS
Once roaming widely across the Sahara and its fringes, the addax now stands as a powerful symbol of restoration and hope. Its presence recalls the ancient rhythms of North Africa’s drylands and the possibility of ecological recovery.
North African wildcat
FELIS SILVESTRIS LYBICA
Elusive and rarely seen, the North African wildcat, a member of the "Secretive Seven", is believed to be the ancestor of domestic cats. It carries an ancient legacy in its sleek, agile form. However, its future is threatened by hybridization with domestic cats, posing a risk to its pure lineage and the survival of this remarkable species.