Animals in Mauritania
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
Mauritania has no official national animal, but the dromedary camel is the one most tied to the country. For centuries it carried nomads and caravans across the Sahara, its milk still feeds desert families, and a camel with its calf appears on a commemorative coin as a symbol of survival.
View details→Wildlife in Mauritania
Mauritania stretches from the Atlantic coast deep into the western Sahara, and at about 1.03 million square kilometers it is one of the largest countries in Africa. Desert covers most of it, so its roughly five million people live mainly in the capital, Nouakchott, in the port of Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the south, where the land is green enough to farm. Elsewhere the country is a world of sand seas, dark rocky plateaus and wide gravel plains, with the huge rings of the Richat Structure, the Eye of the Sahara, visible from space. Rain falls mostly in the south between July and September, and the cooler months from November to March are the easiest time to travel.
The desert shaped Mauritanian life. For centuries Moorish nomads moved with their camels between wells, and caravan towns such as Chinguetti, Ouadane, Tichitt and Oualata, now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, kept their libraries and markets alive at the edge of the dunes. Today iron ore from the north is carried to the coast on one of the longest trains in the world. The sea is the country's great natural treasure: Banc d'Arguin, set aside in 1976 as the first national park and listed by UNESCO in 1989, protects shallow waters and sandbanks where the Imraguen people still fish, sometimes helped by dolphins that drive the fish toward their nets. In the south, Diawling National Park protects the wetlands of the Senegal River delta.
Tourism is small, and most visitors come for desert trips to Chinguetti and the Adrar, the Eye of the Sahara and boat trips in Banc d'Arguin. Wildlife follows these contrasts: desert foxes, wild cats and camels in the Sahara, hyenas and warthogs in the dry south, eagles and vultures over the plateaus, and flamingos, dolphins, manatees and sea turtles along the coast and rivers.
Most Dangerous Animals in Mauritania
Mauritania has very few wild animals that are a real danger to people, and the risks that exist fall mostly on herders and fishers rather than on travelers. Hyenas are the largest wild predators left. Spotted and striped hyenas still live in the south and in remote rocky hills, but they have become scarce, and they are mainly scavengers that feed on carcasses and waste around camps. They sometimes take goats, sheep or young camels, which leads herders to kill them, and attacks on people are very rare.
Honey badgers are small but famously bold, and they can bite hard if cornered, though they avoid people and are seldom seen. The animal that causes more injuries than any wild one is the camel. Male camels can turn aggressive during the breeding season in the cool months, and their bites and kicks are a known cause of injury among herders across the Sahara.
At sea, barracudas hunt in the warm coastal waters and around the sandbanks of Banc d'Arguin. They are large, fast fish with sharp teeth, and they have been known to bite divers or swimmers in murky water or when attracted by shiny objects, although such incidents are rare. Dolphins and the other sea life of the coast pose no real threat.
Top 10 Animals in Mauritania
Mauritania's best known animals are the ones built for the desert, and the most famous of them live among the dunes of the Adrar and the sand seas of the north. Small desert foxes with huge ears and tiny wild cats with furry paws hunt there at night, and their tracks are the first thing travelers notice in the morning sand around Chinguetti and Ouadane. Camels are everywhere, grazing near the wells and carrying goods between the oases, and they remain the animal most visitors photograph.
Further south, in the dry savanna toward the Senegal River, warthogs dig for roots and hyenas roam at night, although both have become scarce after years of drought and hunting. Larger wild cats and genets also live in the rocky hills, but they are shy and rarely seen. Big birds are easier to spot: ostriches, secretary birds, eagles and vultures ride the warm air over the open plains and plateaus.
The coast offers a very different show. In Banc d'Arguin, flamingos and huge flocks of shorebirds feed on the mudflats in winter, while dolphins hunt in the shallow channels. Diawling, in the Senegal River delta, is the best place for waterbirds, and the cool season from November to March brings the largest numbers.
Fennec Fox
Vulpes zerda
Mauritania is one of the most arid countries in Africa, and the fennec fox lives across much of it, from the dunes of the Adrar and Tagant plateaus to the sandy north and the Atlantic coastal dunes. Nocturnal and resourceful, it survives where water is almost absent by getting moisture from its food. It shares the desert with dromedaries, which are part of everyday life in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Mauritania sits at the northern edge of the spotted hyena's range. The IUCN still lists it as present, but only in very small numbers in the far south, near the Senegal River and the border with Mali, where there is enough grass and scrub to support wildlife. Across most of this desert country the striped hyena is the one that survives. Recent records are scarce, and conflict with herders is the main threat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Warthogs in Mauritania live only in the far south, near the Senegal River, at the northern edge of the species' range. They are much rarer here than in the countries farther south, and they depend on seasonal pools and the patches of grass and scrub that survive along the river valley. Their presence in such a dry country shows how tough this wild pig can be. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
Mauritania is one of the most camel dense countries in Africa, with herds roaming the Saharan north and the semi arid Sahel in the south. Camels are central to Mauritanian pastoral culture, prized above all for their milk, which forms a key part of the local diet. The animals are also traded at large livestock markets and symbolize wealth and social status among many nomadic communities across the country. IUCN status: not evaluated.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Mauritania's vast dry landscapes, stretching from the Saharan interior to the Sahelian south, support a sparse caracal population. The cat navigates stony plains and dry riverbeds in search of hares, rodents, and birds. Little targeted research has been conducted on the species here, making precise population estimates difficult. Habitat degradation and conflict with pastoral communities are the primary threats. The IUCN status is Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
The African civet reaches the northwestern edge of its range in Mauritania, restricted to the far south along the Senegal River valley and the woodland savanna zone near the borders with Senegal and Mali. The vast majority of Mauritania is desert or arid scrub, entirely unsuitable for the species. Civet presence here is marginal and tied entirely to areas with permanent water and riparian vegetation. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
In Mauritania, the striped hyena is the hyena of the desert. It roams the rocky plateaus, dry wadis and edges of the Sahara, where the spotted hyena cannot survive, and it comes out only after dark to search for carrion, scraps and fruit. It shares this land with fennec foxes, caracals and dromedaries. Persecution and the scarcity of wild prey keep its numbers low, and it is rarely seen. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
In Mauritania the honey badger lives mainly in the Sahelian south near the Senegal River and in the rocky massifs and wadis further into the desert, since sand seas cover much of the country. It survives on rodents, lizards, insects and reptiles in this sparse, dry landscape and moves mostly at night. Records here are few and scattered, so its true range in the country is poorly known. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Mauritania the common genet lives in the south, where the Sahel's scattered acacia woodland, scrub and rocky outcrops give it shelter, close to the western end of its range across Africa. It copes well with dry country and gets much of its water from its prey. Strictly nocturnal, it hides by day in thickets or crevices and hunts rodents, birds, lizards and insects at night. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Mauritania marks the northwestern edge of the bushbuck's range. The species survives only in the far south, in riverine woodland and thickets along the Senegal River valley on the border with Senegal, where permanent water keeps some cover green in an otherwise arid country. Numbers are small, the animals are of the striped harnessed form, and they are rarely seen. Like other Sahel populations, they depend entirely on the river and its forest. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sand Cat
Felis margarita
In Mauritania the sand cat lives in the sandy and stony deserts of the north and center, a vast, thinly populated part of the Sahara. Records are few because the cat is nocturnal and hard to find, but the country is part of its main range in western Africa. It hunts rodents, birds and reptiles among sparse shrubs and shares the desert with fennec foxes and dromedary camels. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Mauritania's Banc d'Arguin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds one of the most important feeding grounds for green turtles in West Africa. Its vast shallow seagrass beds attract turtles from rookeries such as Poilão in Guinea-Bissau, which travel north along the coast to feed here. Accidental capture in artisanal fishing nets is the main threat to green turtles in Mauritanian waters. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
The bateleur reaches the northern edge of its range in Mauritania, where it occurs sparsely in the Sudanian and Sahelian zones of the south. It favors open savanna with scattered trees, hunting and scavenging across wide territories. As an Endangered species under the IUCN, its presence here is marginal but significant, and it faces threats from habitat loss driven by desertification and land use change.
Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Ostriches inhabit the semi arid Sahel belt of Mauritania, where sparse grasslands meet the edge of the Sahara. They are adapted to extreme heat and scarce water, surviving on grasses, seeds, and leaves found across these harsh landscapes. Populations in Mauritania have come under pressure from unregulated hunting over the decades. The species holds a Least Concern status globally, but local numbers remain a concern.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Mauritania is one of the first stops south of the Sahara for griffon vultures coming from Europe. Young birds from Spain cross the desert each autumn and spread over the Sahel, and the open plateaus and rocky escarpments of the country let them spot carcasses from great heights. The IUCN lists the species as resident here, and it plays a quiet but important cleaning role in this harsh land. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
In Mauritania, the white backed vulture occurs mainly in the southern regions near the Senegal River valley, where patches of savanna and woodland support enough wildlife to sustain it. It is one of Africa's most important scavengers, with stomach acid strong enough to neutralize dangerous pathogens. The species is critically endangered, and poisoning, whether targeted or accidental, is among the gravest threats it faces today.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In Mauritania, the lanner falcon occupies the rocky desert terrain and semi arid scrubland of the Sahara and Sahel regions. It is a resilient species that manages well in landscapes with little vegetation. Cliff faces and rocky outcrops scattered across the interior serve as nesting sites. The species hunts birds and large insects. Mauritania's vast arid interior provides extensive, largely undisturbed habitat for this falcon. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
In Mauritania, the tawny eagle lives in the Sahel fringe and the scattered acacia woodland of the southwest, along the Senegal River valley, where it finds open ground to hunt and trees to nest. It is not commonly recorded, and its presence is tied to areas with some tree cover. Desertification and the loss of trees threaten its habitat here. It nests in acacias. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
The secretary bird reaches the northern edge of its range in Mauritania, where it inhabits the sparse grasslands and open savanna of the Sahel zone in the south of the country. Here it stalks on foot through dry, open terrain hunting snakes, rodents, and large insects. Habitat pressure from desertification and agricultural activity threatens its presence in this arid region. The IUCN lists the species as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
The African fish eagle reaches its northwestern limit in Mauritania, where it lives mainly along the Senegal River, which forms the southern border with Senegal. It is uncommon here, since permanent freshwater is scarce in most of this arid country. The river valley and the wetlands of Diawling National Park near the coast offer the most reliable habitat. Pairs nest in tall riverside trees. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Mauritania receives saker falcons as winter visitors, with birds travelling south from their Eurasian breeding grounds through the Sahara and into the Sahel. The arid plains and open terrain of central and southern Mauritania offer suitable hunting ground for this powerful falcon. Like elsewhere along its migration route, illegal trapping for the falconry trade puts pressure on populations passing through the region. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found in the inhabited zones of Mauritania, mainly in the Senegal River valley in the south, around the capital Nouakchott, and in oases scattered through the Saharan fringe. The vast desert interior of the country is largely unsuitable habitat. It nests in old buildings, palm groves, and rocky outcrops near water sources, and hunts rodents at night. In the agricultural communities of the south it provides natural control of small mammal populations that damage stored grain.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Mauritania serves as an important wintering and stopover area for white storks migrating along the western flyway from Europe. The Senegal River valley and surrounding wetlands in the south of the country offer rich feeding grounds. Storks forage for insects, frogs, and small animals across the sahel and floodplain areas. The IUCN lists the white stork as Least Concern globally.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
The white wagtail winters in Mauritania, concentrating around the Senegal River valley in the south and wetland areas such as the Diawling National Park near the coast. These open, watered environments provide the insects it depends on through the dry season. Birds travel here from as far as northern Europe, covering enormous distances. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Mauritania lies along a key migratory flyway connecting Europe and West Africa, and the peregrine falcon crosses the country in notable numbers each year. Some individuals also spend the winter along the Atlantic coast, where the Banc d'Arguin National Park shelters vast flocks of shorebirds that provide rich hunting opportunities. The rocky desert interior can host passing birds as well. The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
In Mauritania, the nightingale is a winter visitor and passage migrant, present mainly in the southern Sahel belt and along the Senegal River valley where scrub and thorny vegetation provide adequate shelter. It is a small brown bird with a distinctive reddish orange tail, far more often detected by sight than by song during the non breeding months. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In Mauritania, the golden eagle is a rare resident of the rocky plateaus and mountains of the Sahara in the north, where it nests on remote cliffs. It hunts hares, sandgrouse, reptiles and other desert animals. Its numbers here are small and poorly known, and it is one of the most elusive raptors of the Sahara. Pairs need huge territories here, because prey is thin on the ground. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
Mauritania has the greater flamingo, which breeds there, and the lesser flamingo, which visits outside the breeding season. The Banc d'Arguin National Park, a vast area of shallow sea, sandbanks and islands on the Atlantic coast, is one of the most important bird sites in the world and holds a breeding colony of greater flamingos. Flocks also gather in the Diawling National Park, in the Senegal River delta. IUCN status: greater flamingo Least Concern, lesser flamingo Near Threatened.
African Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
Mauritania marks the northernmost point of the African manatee's range. The species has been recorded in the Senegal River along the southern border and in some coastal areas near the river delta. Populations at this extreme edge of the range are extremely small and largely dependent on connectivity with the more established groups to the south in Senegal. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
In the Banc d'Arguin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the coast of Mauritania, Imraguen fishermen have long fished together with bottlenose dolphins: when mullet run along the coast, the fishermen slap the water and the dolphins drive the fish toward their nets. The shallow waters of the park are also home to Atlantic humpback dolphins and huge flocks of birds. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Mauritania is close to the northern limit of the great barracuda in the eastern Atlantic. It lives in the coastal waters of the country and is landed by artisanal fishers whose wooden canoes work the coast from Nouakchott to Nouadhibou. The cold upwelling that makes these waters so rich in fish also makes it less common here than in the warmer Gulf of Guinea, where it shares the sea with the Guinean barracuda. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Mauritania?
Mauritania's desert is home to the fennec fox, the sand cat and the dromedary camel, while spotted and striped hyenas, warthogs, caracals, African civets, honey badgers, common genets and bushbucks live in the south. Its birds include the ostrich, the secretary bird, the African fish eagle, the bateleur, vultures, falcons, storks and flamingos. Along the coast live bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and barracudas, and the African manatee lives in the Senegal River.
What is the national animal of Mauritania?
Mauritania has no official national animal, and its emblem shows a crescent, a star, a palm tree and millet rather than an animal. The dromedary camel is the animal most closely tied to the country: it has carried nomads and caravans across the Sahara for centuries, its milk is part of daily life, and the FAO describes it as a symbol of pride and identity for Mauritanians.
What animals live in Banc d'Arguin National Park?
Banc d'Arguin is one of the most important places in the world for wintering shorebirds, with more than two million birds from Europe and the Arctic arriving each winter, along with flamingos and other waterbirds. Bottlenose dolphins hunt in its shallow channels, sometimes alongside the Imraguen fishers, and sea turtles feed on its seagrass beds. The park was created in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.
Do dolphins help fishermen in Mauritania?
Yes. On the coast of Banc d'Arguin, the Imraguen people have long fished in a way that involves bottlenose dolphins. When schools of fish pass close to shore, fishers beat the water to draw the dolphins in, and the dolphins push the fish toward the shallows, where the fishers catch them in their nets and the dolphins feed on the fish that escape. The Imraguen community is small, with around 1,500 people.
Are there dangerous animals in Mauritania?
Very few. Spotted and striped hyenas still live in the south, but they are scarce, mostly scavenge and rarely threaten people, though they sometimes take livestock. Honey badgers can bite if cornered. Domestic camels cause more injuries than any wild animal, especially males in the breeding season, and barracudas along the coast have occasionally bitten swimmers or divers.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .