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.