Animals in Lebanon
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
The wolf is often used as an animal symbol for Lebanon and is linked to old stories about mountains and remote villages. People know it from legends, art, emblems and sports names rather than daily encounters. It suggests loyalty, shared effort and the quiet strength of groups that live close to rough hills and changing winter weather.
View details→Wildlife in Lebanon
Lebanon is a small country with Mediterranean coast, green hills and high mountain ridges. Visitors often meet wildlife on coastal walks, short drives to hill villages and marked trails in cedar forests and river valleys. From these easy routes they may see foxes, jackals, boar and many birds, while boat trips sometimes show dolphins and distant fins of large sharks.
Most Dangerous Animals in Lebanon
Danger for visitors in Lebanon appears mainly in quiet rural areas and offshore waters. Wild boar can react with force if they feel cornered in thick scrub, while striped hyenas are strong scavengers that usually avoid people. In the sea, dolphins are often seen from the coast, and there are no dangerous sharks near the beaches.
Top 10 Animals in Lebanon
The top 10 list for Lebanon highlights a fast peregrine falcon and the shy caracal, which reflect sky and land. The falcon hunts near cliffs and rocky slopes and can be seen from simple viewpoints during migration. The caracal, a lynx like wild cat with tufted ears, hunts in dry hills and valleys and is rarely seen by visitors.
Golden Jackal
Canis aureus
In Lebanon, the golden jackal is found in coastal scrublands, the Bekaa Valley, and the foothills of Mount Lebanon, where it navigates a landscape shared closely with human communities. It feeds on a wide range of items, from small mammals and birds to fruit and food scraps. Habitat loss and hunting pressure have affected local populations, though the species remains present across much of the country. Its status is Least Concern.
Badger
Meles meles
In Lebanon, badgers live in the woodland, scrub and terraced farmland of the Mount Lebanon range and other hilly areas, where they dig setts on wooded slopes. Many scientists call them the Caucasian badger, while the IUCN counts them as Eurasian badgers. They are nocturnal and secretive, feeding on insects, fruit, roots and small animals, and are threatened locally by habitat loss and hunting. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Marten
Martes martes / Martes foina
In Lebanon, the stone marten lives in the mountain forests and rocky slopes of Mount Lebanon, including the cedar and oak woods of the Shouf, and in the Anti Lebanon range. It is the only marten in the country. It hunts rodents and birds at night, eats fruit such as figs and grapes and sometimes lives close to mountain villages, sheltering in rock crevices and old stone buildings. Few people ever see one. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
In Lebanon, the red fox lives across a surprisingly varied landscape for such a small country, from the cedar and pine forests of Mount Lebanon to the farmland of the Bekaa Valley and the coastal hills. It is one of the most often seen wild carnivores and often comes into villages and the edges of towns at night. Habitat loss is a concern, but the species remains widespread. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars live in the forested mountains of Lebanon, on Mount Lebanon, in the Chouf, where the cedar reserve protects large forests, and in parts of the Bekaa Valley. Unlike in some neighboring countries, part of the population hunts and eats wild boar, while farmers see them mainly as a threat to crops and vineyards on the hillsides. Striped hyenas and golden jackals share their range. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Lebanon, the caracal is a rare and infrequently recorded wild cat, associated with rocky hillsides, dry scrublands, and open terrain across the country. Its presence has been documented, though verified sightings are uncommon. Like elsewhere in the Middle East, it faces threats from habitat fragmentation and human encroachment. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern at the global level, but local populations are likely small and under pressure.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
In Lebanon, striped hyenas survive in small numbers in rocky, remote areas, especially in the Bekaa Valley and on the drier slopes of the Anti Lebanon Mountains, and they are among the country's largest wild carnivores. They are rarely seen and are often shot or poisoned by people who fear them, and road deaths are frequent. Urban growth and farming leave them less and less room. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Chameleon
Chamaeleonidae
In Lebanon the common chameleon lives in coastal scrub, terraced hillsides with olives and fruit trees and the drier valleys of the western slopes. Its numbers have fallen with the widespread loss of natural vegetation along the coast. Its ballistic tongue reaches prey in under a tenth of a second, which makes it a very effective insect hunter despite its unhurried pace. It is still found in many rural gardens. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Lebanon lies on the eastern Mediterranean flyway used by steppe eagles traveling between Central Asia and Africa. The mountain ridges and the Bekaa Valley channel migrating raptors, and observers record these large, dark brown eagles during both spring and autumn passage. Illegal shooting of migrating birds has long been a problem in Lebanon, although conservation campaigns have worked to reduce it. IUCN status: Endangered.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
The griffon vulture has a small and fragile presence in Lebanon, where it is occasionally spotted soaring over the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. Historically it nested in the country, but breeding records are now scarce. It faces serious threats from illegal hunting, disturbance, and the broader decline of wild ungulate populations that it depends on for food. Conservation awareness efforts are growing, but the species remains vulnerable in this part of its range. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
The lanner falcon occurs in Lebanon across rocky valleys, open hillsides, and semi-arid areas, particularly in the eastern parts of the country toward the Bekaa Valley. It is not among the most common raptors in Lebanon but is a known resident. Like elsewhere in the Middle East, it has cultural ties to falconry. Habitat loss and human disturbance remain ongoing concerns for the species here. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo
In Lebanon, the Eurasian eagle owl occupies rocky gorges and rugged hillsides, including areas around the Lebanon and Anti Lebanon mountain ranges. It is largely nocturnal, hunting rodents, birds, and small mammals across scrubland and open terrain. Habitat loss and human disturbance put pressure on local pairs. Despite a small national population, it remains one of the most imposing birds of prey in the region. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Lebanon sits along the eastern Mediterranean flyway used by many raptors during migration, and the saker falcon is recorded as an occasional passage migrant and winter visitor in the country. Open areas and agricultural land in the Bekaa Valley and the eastern regions can provide temporary habitat during the bird's movements south. Migratory raptors in Lebanon have historically faced pressure from illegal hunting. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found across Lebanon in open farmland, scrubland, and areas near villages in the coastal lowlands, the Bekaa Valley, and the lower slopes of the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. It nests in old stone buildings, ruins, cliff faces, and hollow trees, and hunts rodents at night. In the agricultural Bekaa Valley it plays a useful role in controlling small mammal populations. Its pale silhouette gliding silently over fields at dusk is a familiar sight in rural areas throughout the country.
Crane
Grus grus
Lebanon lies along the path of common cranes migrating between Europe and their wintering grounds in Africa and the Middle East. Flocks can be seen passing over the Bekaa Valley and coastal areas each autumn and spring. The country's position along the eastern Mediterranean flyway makes it a notable stopover point for this and many other migratory species. The IUCN lists the common crane as Least Concern.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
The white stork passes through Lebanon each spring and autumn, riding thermal currents along the eastern Mediterranean coast during its migration between Europe and Africa south of the Sahara. Travelers can spot flocks soaring above the Bekaa Valley and coastal plains. Standing up to 1.15 meters tall with white plumage, a red bill, and black flight feathers, it is one of the most striking birds to cross Lebanese skies. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In Lebanon, the white wagtail is seen both as a passing migrant and a winter visitor, frequenting the Bekaa Valley, coastal plains and the banks of rivers such as the Litani. It picks insects from open ground and wet margins, often appearing in farmland and urban parks. Some birds breed in suitable upland areas. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Lebanon sits along one of the busiest bird migration routes in the world, the Syrian African Rift Valley flyway, and peregrine falcons are regular visitors during spring and autumn passage. Some birds may winter along the rocky cliffs of the Lebanese coast and the rugged terrain of the Mount Lebanon range. Conservation organizations in Lebanon have worked to reduce illegal hunting, which has historically threatened migrating raptors. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Lebanon lies along an important migration route between Europe and Africa, and the nightingale passes through the country each spring and autumn. Some birds also breed in the dense scrub and wooded valleys of the northern and coastal regions. The varied landscape of Lebanon, from coastal plains to forested mountain slopes, offers suitable habitat at multiple stages of the species' annual cycle. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In Lebanon, the golden eagle is a scarce resident of the Mount Lebanon and Anti Lebanon ranges, with more birds passing through in autumn and winter. It soars over rocky ridges and open hillsides in search of hares, partridges and hyraxes. Illegal hunting of birds has long been a problem in Lebanon and affects large raptors like this one. Pairs keep the same territory for years and often have several nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .