Animals in Chad
Lion
Panthera leo
The lion is one of Chad's two national animals. On the coat of arms adopted in 1970, a lion stands for the south and a goat for the north. Wild lions survive mainly in Zakouma National Park, where their numbers have grown again.
View details→Wildlife in Chad
Chad is the fifth largest country in Africa, and from north to south it crosses three very different worlds. The Sahara covers the north, with the sand seas, the Ennedi plateau and the volcanic Tibesti mountains, while the middle belongs to the dry Sahel and the south to green savanna and river floodplains, where most people live. Lake Chad, on the western border, has shrunk sharply since the 1960s but still feeds a large wetland. Rain falls only in summer, from about June to October in the south, and the long dry season that follows draws animals to the last rivers and pools.
Farming in the south and herding in the Sahel shape the country, and nomadic herders still move cattle and camels with the rains. Zakouma, created in 1963, is Chad's oldest national park and one of Africa's great recovery stories: after poachers killed thousands of elephants in the 2000s, the herd began to grow again once African Parks took over management in 2010. The Lakes of Ounianga joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2012 and the Ennedi Massif in 2016, and the Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim reserve is bringing back desert antelopes bred in captivity.
Most visitors fly to N'Djamena and then on to Zakouma during the dry season, or travel north on long desert trips to the arches of Ennedi. The wildlife follows these contrasts: elephants, big cats and huge buffalo herds in the southern savanna, antelopes and ostriches in the Sahel, and foxes and gazelles built for the desert in the north.
Most Dangerous Animals in Chad
Most visitors to Chad meet wild animals only on guided drives in Zakouma, where the risk is very low if you follow the rangers. Outside the parks, the people most at risk are farmers and herders.
The large plant eaters cause the most problems. As Zakouma's elephants recover, they wander farther and sometimes raid fields around the park, and a startled herd can charge, so never approach elephants on foot. Buffalo can attack without warning, especially lone males, and hippos are dangerous in rivers and on land at night, when they come out to graze. Keep a safe distance from riverbanks after dark.
Lions and leopards in the south rarely attack people, but they do kill cattle and goats, which leads to conflict with herders. Spotted and striped hyenas also take livestock and may come close to camps at night, so keep food stored away. Honey badgers are tough and will defend themselves fiercely if cornered.
In the desert, the main dangers are heat, thirst and getting lost rather than animals. Travel with an experienced guide, carry plenty of water, and wear closed shoes around camp, since small creatures shelter under rocks and in bedding during the cold desert nights.
Top 10 Animals in Chad
Zakouma National Park is where most of Chad's famous animals live, and the dry season, from about December to May, is the time to see them, as the floodplains dry out and life crowds around the last pools. Elephants are the headline: the herd that nearly vanished to poaching has been growing again since 2010, and calves are now common. Buffalo gather in herds that can number in the hundreds, and lions follow them across the plains. Zakouma also protects one of the largest groups of Kordofan giraffes left anywhere, and greater kudu browse in the thicker woodland.
Leopards live in the park as well but are shy and usually seen at dusk. Spotted hyenas call around camp at night. Hippos live in the rivers and pools of the south, and some survive in the wetlands around Lake Chad. The cheetah is very rare in Chad today and is seldom seen by anyone.
The north is a different world. The fennec fox lives in the sand of the Sahara and the Ennedi, hiding in burrows by day and hunting at night, so it is best looked for with a local guide after dark near desert camps.
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Chad is home to one of Africa's best known elephant comebacks. In Zakouma National Park, poachers cut the population from about 4,000 in the early 2000s to around 450 by 2010. Since African Parks took over management that year, poaching has almost stopped, calves are born again and the herd has grown to more than 550, often moving in a single great group. Smaller numbers live in other parts of the south. IUCN status: Endangered.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
In Chad, the African buffalo is found primarily in the southern savanna regions, particularly in Zakouma National Park, which has become one of the continent's most celebrated conservation success stories. After suffering dramatic losses to poaching in the early 2000s, buffalo numbers in Zakouma have rebounded significantly thanks to intensive protection efforts. The park's floodplain and woodland habitats are ideal for large herds. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Chad holds one of the few remaining populations of the critically endangered Northwest African cheetah. Camera traps in Zakouma National Park have confirmed cheetahs at a density of about 0.37 per 100 square kilometers, and they are also seen in Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim and Ennedi. Zakouma's recovery, once poaching was brought under control, has helped its predators. They share the savanna with lions and wild dogs. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Fennec Fox
Vulpes zerda
In Chad, the fennec fox lives in the vast Saharan north, in the regions of Borkou, Ennedi and Tibesti, where sand dunes and sandy plains between rocky massifs give it room to dig its burrows. It hunts insects, rodents and lizards at night and spends the burning days underground. It shares this desert with dromedaries and with the last wild addax of the Sahara. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Chad holds one of the largest populations of the Kordofan giraffe, a Critically Endangered northern giraffe, mainly in Zakouma National Park and the Sena Oura area in the south. Under African Parks' management since 2010, Zakouma has stopped the poaching that once ravaged its wildlife, and its giraffes have grown in number. The dry woodlands of southern Chad give them plenty of browse. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
In Chad, greater kudus live in the wooded savanna of the southeast, and Zakouma National Park is one of the few places where they can still be seen. These northern kudus are rarely spotted and keep to thick cover along seasonal rivers. They stay far from the arid north, where the dama gazelle and the addax live. Farming and cattle herding put pressure on the woodlands outside the park. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
In Chad, hippos live in the south, along the Chari and Logone rivers and their floodplains, which flow north into Lake Chad. As Lake Chad has shrunk dramatically since the 1960s because of drought and water use, the habitat for hippos has shrunk too, and they now depend on the rivers and seasonal wetlands of the south. Conflict with farmers along the rivers is a pressure. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
In Chad, spotted hyenas are most common in the south, where Zakouma National Park protects one of the best recovered wildlife areas in Central Africa, with large herds of buffalo, kob and hartebeest. There they compete with lions for kills. Further north, in the drier Sahel, they become rare and the striped hyena takes over. Conflict with nomadic herders over livestock leads to retaliatory killing outside the parks. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
In Chad, leopards live in the wetter south, and Zakouma National Park is their stronghold. Since African Parks took over its management in 2010, poaching has dropped sharply and wildlife has recovered, and leopards hunt there in the floodplains and woodland alongside lions. They also survive in smaller numbers in other southern savannas. Outside protected areas, prey loss and conflict with herders are the main threats. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Lion
Panthera leo
Zakouma National Park in southeastern Chad is one of the best places in Central Africa to see lions. Heavy poaching once hit the park hard, but since African Parks began managing it with the government in 2010, prey has returned and lions have recovered. Lions fitted with GPS collars showed that many leave the park in the rainy season, which brings them closer to herders. The lion is also Chad's national animal. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
In Chad, the common warthog lives in the Sudanian savannas of the south, where the rains support enough grass and shrub cover. Zakouma National Park is the best place to see it, and its wildlife has recovered strongly since anti poaching work began in 2010. Warthogs dig for bulbs along the park's floodplains and are hunted by lions, cheetahs and spotted hyenas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dama Gazelle
Nanger dama
Chad holds most of the world's last wild dama gazelles, mainly in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve, with a few left in the Manga region. Since 2020 a breeding herd in the reserve, started with gazelles from Manga and Abu Dhabi, has grown to more than 30, and six collared gazelles were released in 2024. It is the largest gazelle, white with a reddish neck. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
The dromedary camel is a desert mammal with one hump that stores fat, able to walk long distances with little water while carrying loads.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Chad, the caracal is found across the Sahelian belt and the savanna zones further south, where scrubland and rocky terrain provide shelter and hunting ground. It is well suited to the dry conditions across much of the country. Rodents, hares, and ground birds make up the bulk of its diet. As with much of central Africa, limited field research means that precise population data for Chad remains sparse. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Serval
Leptailurus serval
In Chad, servals live only in the wetter south, far from the Sahara. Zakouma National Park, with its seasonal floodplains and tall grass along the Salamat River, is one of the places where camera traps have photographed them. They hunt rodents, birds and frogs, mostly at dusk and at night. The drying of wetlands and the spread of farming and herding are local threats. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
In Chad, the African civet follows river systems into the Sudan savanna zone of the south. It is found along the Chari and Logone rivers and in the woodland savannas of the southwest, including areas around Zakouma National Park. The northern two thirds of the country are too arid to support civets, but wherever permanent water and ground cover exist in the south, the species establishes itself readily. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
In Chad, striped hyenas range across the Sahel and the southern edge of the Sahara, from the dry plains of the center to the rocky massifs of the north and east. They are one of the few large carnivores still found in these dry lands, where they share the landscape with dromedaries, dama gazelles and fennec foxes, while spotted hyenas dominate the wetter south. Herders sometimes kill them over livestock losses. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
In Chad the honey badger lives mainly in the Sudanian savannas of the south, including Zakouma National Park, and along the Sahel, becoming rare toward the desert north. It hunts rodents, digs out insect larvae and raids beehives, and it is mostly active at night. Water and better cover around the Lake Chad basin and the southern rivers support more prey, while farming and herding reduce wild habitat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Chad the common genet lives in the Sahel and the wooded savannas of the south, often along rivers lined with trees, and it avoids the open desert of the north. It is a solitary night hunter that catches rodents, birds, lizards, insects and even scorpions, and it rests by day in hollow trees, burrows or thick bushes. Its ability to cope with dry country lets it reach farther north than many carnivores. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Addax
Addax nasomaculatus
Chad is where the addax is coming back. Since January 2020, addax bred in Abu Dhabi have been released into the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve, 115 by 2023, and the first wild calves were born in 2020. With those births, more than 130 now roam free. In December 2023, ten were moved to the Ennedi reserve, aiming for a population of over 500. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Kob
Kobus kob
In Chad, the kob lives in the wetter south, and Zakouma National Park is its stronghold. When the dry season shrinks Zakouma's waterholes, large herds of Buffon's kob gather near the remaining pools along with buffaloes, giraffes and elephants, and lions hunt them there. Along the Chari and Logone rivers, kobs also use seasonally flooded grasslands. Hunting and farming have pushed them out of much of the south. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
In Chad, the Lelwel hartebeest is one of the most common antelopes of Zakouma National Park, where protection since 2010 has let wildlife recover on the floodplains of the Salamat. Outside the park, drought, cattle herding and hunting have pushed it into smaller areas. The Lelwel hartebeest is listed as Endangered across its range, which makes Zakouma's herds especially important. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Topi
Damaliscus lunatus
In Chad, topis are tiang and live in the southern savannas, with their best known population in Zakouma National Park. Zakouma's floodplains dry out into rich grazing as the dry season advances, drawing herds of tiang near the remaining water. Since African Parks began managing the park in 2010, poaching has dropped sharply and its antelope herds have recovered. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Chad's bushbucks are of the striped harnessed form and live only in the wetter south, far from the Sahara. Zakouma National Park and the gallery forests along the Chari and Salamat rivers hold the best habitat, where they hide in dense riverside cover by day. Hunting has made them scarce outside protected areas, and they feed mostly at night on leaves and shoots. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sand Cat
Felis margarita
In Chad the sand cat lives in the Saharan north of the country, in sandy and stony desert with sparse shrubs. It is rarely recorded, but it shares this harsh landscape with addax, dama gazelles, fennec foxes and caracals. It hunts gerbils, jerboas and lizards at night, rests in burrows by day and can survive long periods without drinking, getting water from its prey. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
In Chad, the aardvark lives in the savannas of the south and center, including the Salamat region, home of Zakouma National Park, and the hills of Guéra, with recent records as far north as Wadi Fira. It feeds at night on termites and ants. Lions, leopards and spotted hyenas hunt it, and warthogs use its old burrows. It is rarely seen and is also hunted for meat in some areas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
The bateleur is a resident of Chad's Sahel and Sudan savanna zones, where it soars over open woodland and grassland in the south of the country. The Zakouma National Park area represents one of the more important refuges for large birds of prey in Chad. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, the species faces pressure from poisoning, persecution, and the gradual shrinking of suitable habitat across the region.
Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Chad is one of the key countries for ostriches in the Sahel and Sahara region. The birds range across the vast semi-arid and desert landscapes of central and northern Chad, including areas around Zakouma National Park in the south, where conservation efforts have helped stabilize wildlife populations. Ostriches here navigate enormous distances across open terrain in search of food and water during the dry season.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
In Chad, the white backed vulture is found across the Sahel belt and the southern savannas, where it gathers near large mammal herds and livestock grazing areas. The Zakouma National Park represents one of the more important refuges for wildlife in the country, offering some protection. Poisoning events tied to poaching activity continue to threaten this Critically Endangered vulture throughout the region.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
Chad's vast Sahel belt and semi-arid plains are well-suited to the lanner falcon. The species ranges widely across the country, hunting doves and other birds using low, fast pursuit flights over open ground. It nests on rocky escarpments in areas such as the Tibesti and Ennedi highlands. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though desertification puts gradual pressure on its habitat.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Chad's Sahel belt and the grasslands of the south and center, toward the Lake Chad basin, provide important habitat for the tawny eagle. It is a familiar sight soaring over open terrain and perched on acacias. It relies on carrion in the driest months and harasses other raptors for food. Desertification, the cutting of trees and poisoned baits are the main threats here. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
The secretary bird inhabits the Sudanian savanna belt in Chad's south and center, where open grasslands provide ideal hunting ground. It walks methodically through tall grass, striking snakes and other small animals with powerful kicks. As the Sahara expands southward and farmland spreads across Chad's wetter zones, the grassland habitat this bird needs is shrinking. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
In Chad, the African fish eagle is closely tied to Lake Chad and the Chari and Logone rivers that feed it from the south. Although the lake has shrunk a lot in recent decades, its open water and wetland fringe still hold fish eagles. The southern rivers and their floodplains have the steadiest numbers, while the bird becomes rare toward the arid north. Pairs nest in tall riverside trees. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Chad forms part of the saker falcon's wintering range in sub-Saharan Africa, where birds arriving from Eurasian breeding grounds spread across the semi-arid Sahel zone. Open scrubland and the margins of the Lake Chad basin can offer foraging opportunities for wintering individuals. The long journey south exposes these birds to trapping pressure along migration routes. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is present in Chad in open dry savanna, farmland, and oases across the Sahel and Sudanian zones that cover the southern half of the country. It nests in old buildings, palm groves, and rocky outcrops, and hunts rodents at night by sound. In a country where rodent damage to grain stores is a persistent agricultural challenge, its role as a natural pest controller is significant in rural farming communities across the south.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Chad lies along one of the white stork's key migration corridors into Africa south of the Sahara. The wetlands around Lake Chad and the surrounding Sahel grasslands provide essential feeding stops for thousands of birds traveling south each autumn. Frogs, fish, and insects are plentiful in these habitats. The health of the Lake Chad basin directly affects how well storks can rest and refuel during this demanding journey.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Chad lies on an important migration corridor for the white wagtail, and good numbers of birds pass through or spend the winter here, particularly around Lake Chad and the river valleys of the south. The bird favors the edges of wetlands and open ground, hunting insects on foot. Its bobbing tail is one of the most recognisable sights along Chad's lakeshores. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon passes through Chad during its long migrations between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, using the Sahel zone and the Lake Chad basin as key stopover corridors. It hunts shorebirds and pigeons along wetland edges and open plains. Chad lies on one of the most important flyways on the continent, making it a critical transit country for this species each year.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Chad lies along the nightingale's migration route and provides wintering habitat in the country's southern savannas and the scrub around Lake Chad. The bird tends to avoid the vast desert regions to the north. Wintering nightingales are quiet and secretive, feeding on insects and fruit in areas with adequate ground cover. Habitat in the Lake Chad basin has shifted considerably in recent decades due to the lake's shrinkage, which may affect stopover conditions. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
Chad is landlocked, but the African manatee reaches it through the Mayo Kebbi, a river of the Benue and Niger basin, and lives in Lake Léré and Lake Tréné in the southwest of the country. Older records from the Logone and Chari rivers and from Lake Chad itself have not been repeated for decades, and it has not been reported in Lake Chad since 1929. These inland groups are tiny and isolated, and hunting and drought are serious threats. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Chad?
Chad has elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, giraffes, hippos, greater kudu and antelopes such as kob, hartebeest and topi in the southern savanna, mostly in Zakouma National Park. The Sahel and the Sahara are home to ostriches, striped hyenas, fennec foxes, dromedary camels and rare desert antelopes like the addax and the dama gazelle.
What is the national animal of Chad?
Chad has two: the lion and the goat. Both hold up the national coat of arms, adopted in 1970, with the goat standing for the north of the country and the lion for the south. Wild lions are found mainly in Zakouma National Park.
Are there elephants in Chad?
Yes. Zakouma National Park lost about 4,000 elephants to poachers between 2002 and 2010, leaving only around 450. Since African Parks began managing the park with the government in 2010, poaching has dropped sharply and the herd has grown again, with many young calves born in recent years.
Are there lions in Chad?
Yes. Lions live mainly in Zakouma National Park and the surrounding area in the southeast, where their numbers have increased as poaching fell and prey herds recovered. They are rare elsewhere in the country, and they belong to the lions of West and Central Africa, which are in serious danger.
What animals live in the Sahara in Chad?
The Chadian Sahara has fennec foxes, dromedary camels and desert birds of prey like the lanner falcon. In the Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim reserve, more than 150 addax now roam free after releases that began in 2019, and dama gazelles are being returned too. In late 2023, some addax were also released in the Ennedi reserve.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .