Animals in Morocco
Lion
Panthera leo
The Barbary lion, Morocco’s national symbol, once roamed the Atlas Mountains. Although extinct in the wild, it remains a source of pride and appears in museums, art and conservation projects. It represents strength, endurance and the country’s lasting connection with its natural heritage.
View details→Wildlife in Morocco
Morocco’s wildlife stretches from the Mediterranean coast to the dunes of the Sahara and the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains. Fennec foxes, macaques, red deer and dolphins live in these varied habitats. National parks and coastal reserves protect many species that attract travelers interested in safaris, hiking and marine life.
Most Dangerous Animals in Morocco
Morocco has few dangerous animals, yet caution is advised in wild areas. Wild boars may act aggressively when threatened, and some snakes or scorpions can be venomous. In coastal waters, large sharks occasionally appear. Respecting local advice keeps encounters safe and enjoyable.
Top 10 Animals in Morocco
Morocco is home to desert foxes, red deer, macaques and migratory birds that rest along its coasts. The mix of Sahara and Mediterranean climates gives rise to unique wildlife. Visitors to parks such as Souss Massa or Ifrane can enjoy landscapes where mountains, forests and dunes meet.
Barbary Macaque
Macaca sylvanus
Morocco holds the largest population of Barbary macaques, mostly in the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou, where densities fell sharply in the 1990s and partly recovered by 2017. Smaller troops live in the Rif, in Talassemtane, and in the High Atlas near the Ouzoud Falls. Logging, overgrazing and the capture of infants for the pet trade are the main threats. IUCN status: Endangered.
Fennec Fox
Vulpes zerda
In Morocco, the fennec fox lives in the Saharan southeast and south, in the dune fields of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga and Erg Chigaga near M'Hamid, and along the Draa valley. It hides from the daytime heat in burrows and comes out at night to hunt. Visitors on guided night walks in the dunes sometimes see it, but fennecs are also caught and shown at roadside stalls, which harms wild populations. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
The Barbary red deer was hunted to extinction in Morocco, but it has been brought back to the country's northern forests. Reintroduced herds live in Tazekka National Park in the Middle Atlas, among cedar and cork oak woods, and deer have also been released in the Beni Snassen mountains of the northeast. These small populations are still fragile and depend on protection from poaching and on the conservation of their forests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
The red fox is widespread in Morocco, living in the Rif and the Middle and High Atlas, the cedar forests around Ifrane, the farmland and scrub of the Atlantic plains, and the edge of the Sahara. It eats rodents, reptiles, insects and fruit, and in rural areas it sometimes takes poultry. In the desert to the south it gives way to the much smaller fennec fox. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars are common in the forested mountains of Morocco, in the Rif and the Middle Atlas, where oak and cedar forests give them acorns and cover. These are small Mediterranean boars. Because most Moroccans do not eat pork, they face little hunting pressure apart from organized hunts, and numbers have grown in several regions, where they raid crops planted near forests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
In Morocco, dromedary camels are most at home in the Draa Valley, the Saharan dunes of Merzouga, and the arid plains near the Algerian border. They have been used for centuries on trade routes crossing the Sahara. Today, while many camels still serve pastoral communities in the south, they are also central to the tourism industry around Erfoud and Zagora, where visitors explore the desert by camelback. IUCN status: not evaluated.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Morocco, the caracal inhabits rocky hillsides, scrubland, and dry terrain, particularly in the Atlas Mountains and the steppe on the edge of the Sahara to the south. It is considered rare and seldom observed. The species faces pressure from habitat loss, prey depletion, and persecution linked to livestock predation. Its secretive, nocturnal habits make monitoring challenging. Across its global range the IUCN classifies the caracal as Least Concern.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
In Morocco, striped hyenas survive in the steppes on the edge of the Sahara, the rocky foothills of the Atlas and the far south, sheltering in caves and ravines. A 2017 report described a dramatic decline caused by illegal hunting and trapping for sorcery, poisoning campaigns and road deaths, since hyena parts are still sold for magic and folk medicine. They share these lands with caracals and fennec foxes. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
Morocco marks the northwestern limit of the honey badger's African range. It lives in the arid south, south of the Atlas and toward the Sahara, rather than on the Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts of the north. It digs for rodents, lizards and insects in desert scrub and rocky ground. Sightings are rare, and the North African population is considered Near Threatened in the IUCN's Mediterranean assessment. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
The common genet is common in northern and central Morocco, from the cork oak forests of the Rif and the Middle Atlas to the scrub, olive groves and rocky hills of the Atlantic and Mediterranean sides. The genets of Spain and Portugal descend from animals brought from this region of North Africa centuries ago. It is an agile climber that hunts mice, birds and insects at night. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chameleon
Chamaeleonidae
In Morocco the common chameleon lives in a wide range of habitats, from the argan forests and scrub of the southwest to the Mediterranean coast of the north. It is a familiar sight in rural gardens and olive groves. Chameleons are still sold in some markets as pets or for traditional remedies, and that trade and farming put steady pressure on local populations. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Morocco once had griffon vulture colonies across the Rif and the Atlas Mountains, but they collapsed in the late twentieth century: of ten known colonies, only three were still active in 1984, and they later disappeared. A reintroduction project began at Jbel Moussa, near the Strait of Gibraltar, with five birds released in 2017, and griffons from Spain also cross the strait. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
The lanner falcon is found across Morocco, from the rocky Atlas Mountain ranges to the arid plateaus of the south. It hunts birds such as doves and pigeons using low, fast pursuit flights, often in pairs. Nesting takes place on cliff ledges in rugged terrain. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though illegal capture for falconry remains a concern in North Africa.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Morocco holds the last tawny eagles of North Africa, a small, heavily depleted population in the south central part of the country. A few pairs survive in areas such as Souss Massa, Tan Tan and Tarfaya, where they nest in trees near mountains with open plains below, laying eggs around April. Persecution, poisoning and the loss of nesting trees have made it very rare. It is a protected bird. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
The saker falcon is a scarce passage migrant in Morocco, crossing the country in autumn and spring on its way to and from wintering grounds south of the Sahara. Birds are recorded on the northern plains and along the fringes of the desert, where open country rich in pigeons and small mammals suits their fast, low hunting style. Illegal trapping remains a pressure across the region. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Nocturnal owl with a pale heart shaped face and long wings, flying almost silently and hunting mice and other small mammals around farms and grasslands.
Crane
Grus grus
Morocco is the southern end of the western European flyway for the common crane. Birds that cross Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar spend the winter in small numbers on the farmland and wetlands of the northwest, such as the Gharb plain and the area around the Merja Zerga lagoon. Many more cranes now stay in Spain for the winter, so Morocco receives fewer birds than in the past. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Puffin
Fratercula arctica
The Atlantic puffin spends the winter in the waters off Morocco, at the southern edge of its range. Birds from colonies in the British Isles, France and elsewhere travel south and are found at sea off both the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, mostly far from shore, and they are sometimes seen from headlands or found washed up after storms. They return north in spring to breed on cliffs and islands. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Morocco is one of the most important countries for the white stork in Africa. It supports a significant breeding population, particularly in cities like Marrakech and Fez, where storks nest on ancient walls and mosques. The country also sits along the western migration route, with birds crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in large numbers each autumn and spring. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In Morocco, the white wagtail is both a resident and a winter visitor in large numbers. Breeding birds occupy the Atlas Mountain foothills and river valleys, while migrants swell populations along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts each winter. It is a common sight near irrigation channels, wetlands and towns. The subspecies present varies between resident and visiting birds. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In Morocco, the peregrine falcon occurs along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, in the High Atlas mountains, and across arid inland plains. Resident pairs nest on rocky cliff faces, while migratory individuals pass through during spring and autumn as they travel between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The species is rated Least Concern and is a regular sight for birdwatchers visiting the country's rugged southern landscapes.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Morocco holds a significant place in the nightingale's story, as the country sits on one of its main migration routes between Europe and Africa. The bird also breeds in suitable habitat across northern Morocco, nesting low in dense thickets near woodland edges and river corridors. With its warm brown plumage and vivid rusty tail, it is most easily noticed by its powerful, complex song ringing through spring evenings. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In Morocco, the golden eagle lives in the High, Middle and Anti Atlas and in the rocky hills toward the Sahara. It hunts rabbits, hares, partridges and reptiles over rugged terrain, and pairs nest on sheltered cliff ledges, returning to the same sites year after year. Moroccan birds are mostly sedentary, though some young ones wander after breeding. Pairs keep the same territory for years and often have several nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
The greater flamingo lives year round in Morocco, and its coastal lagoons are among the best places to see it in North Africa. Merja Zerga on the Atlantic coast, the Khnifiss lagoon in the south and Sebkha Bou Areg near Nador on the Mediterranean all hold flocks, especially in winter, when birds from Spain and France arrive. The flamingos feed on brine shrimp and small invertebrates in the shallow, salty water. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Orca
Orcinus orca
Morocco's orcas are the Iberian orcas of the Strait of Gibraltar, a small population of about 37 animals listed as Critically Endangered. Each summer they hunt Atlantic bluefin tuna in the strait, on both the Spanish and the Moroccan side, often waiting near fishing lines to take tuna caught by local fishermen. They are seen every year in July and August, and some of them have been involved in the rudder interactions with sailboats that began in 2020. IUCN status: Data Deficient.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins live along both coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean off Al Hoceima and Nador, in the Strait of Gibraltar near Tangier, and along the Atlantic coast. In the Mediterranean they often damage fishing nets to take the fish, which causes conflicts with local fishermen. The Mediterranean population is Vulnerable. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Vulnerable).
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .