Animals in Sudan
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
The secretary bird is Sudan's national symbol and stands at the center of the national emblem, holding the shield of the Mahdi, the leader who ruled Sudan in the 1880s. This tall bird of prey walks the open grasslands and kills snakes with fast kicks of its long legs.
View details→Wildlife in Sudan
Sudan covers more than 1.8 million square kilometers, the third largest country in Africa, and it is built around the Nile. The Blue Nile and the White Nile meet at Khartoum, and most people live along the river or in the farming plains of the center, while the rest of the country is open land. From the Sahara and the Nubian Desert in the north to the Red Sea Hills, the volcanic peaks of Jebel Marra in Darfur, the dry savanna of the south and a coral coast on the Red Sea, the landscape changes from sand to grass to reef, and each part shelters a different set of animals. Rain falls mostly between July and September, and it gets heavier the farther south you go.
For centuries the land has shaped how people live. Herders move camels, cattle, goats and sheep across the plains in search of water and pasture, and the acacia woodlands of the center make Sudan the world's largest producer of gum arabic. Conservation began early: Dinder National Park was created in 1935 on the border with Ethiopia and protects river forests, seasonal wetlands and savanna. Sudan also has two UNESCO sites that matter here, the pyramids of Meroë and the marine parks of Sanganeb and Dungonab Bay, listed in 2016 for their reefs and their dugongs. Since war broke out in April 2023, travel has almost stopped and conservation work faces deep difficulties.
Before the war, most visitors came for the pyramids, the desert and diving trips from Port Sudan to some of the least crowded reefs in the Red Sea. The wildlife follows these contrasts: small desert foxes and wild cats in the dunes, wild goats in the rocky hills, big cats and grazers in the southern savanna, crocodiles and hippos on the rivers and sharks and dugongs along the coast.
Most Dangerous Animals in Sudan
Sudan's dangerous animals are a real but local risk, and the people most exposed are farmers, herders and fishers rather than visitors. Along the Nile and its branches, crocodiles are the main threat: they hunt by waiting below the surface and can attack people who fish, wash, swim or collect water at the river's edge. Hippos are rarer today, but where they remain they defend their stretch of water and their grazing ground on the banks, and they can overturn small boats. In the southeast, around Dinder National Park, big cats and hyenas sometimes kill cattle, goats and sheep, especially as villages and herds have moved closer to the park in search of land and pasture. That conflict over livestock is the most common way people meet large predators in Sudan, and it can lead to animals being killed in return. Buffalos are powerful and unpredictable when surprised at close range in thick cover. The Red Sea coast adds sharks and barracudas, which live around the reefs of Port Sudan and Sanganeb. Divers see them often, but bites on people are rare, because most of these fish feed on other fish and pay little attention to swimmers.
Top 10 Animals in Sudan
Sudan's best known animals are spread between the river, the savanna and the desert. In the southeast, Dinder National Park is the main refuge for big cats, hyenas and grazers, and before the war rangers there still reported regular night sightings of lions and hyenas along the rivers and seasonal pools. Buffalos and wild pigs come to the same waters in the dry season, when the pools shrink and animals gather around them. Along the Blue Nile, the White Nile and the main river, crocodiles and hippos survive in quieter stretches away from towns, although farming and fishing have pushed them out of many places. The desert has its own famous residents. Small foxes with huge ears hunt at night in the dunes of the north, and wild cats like the caracal live in the dry hills and plains, where they catch birds and rodents. Camels are the animal most travelers actually see, in markets, along desert tracks and with the herders who still move them north toward the markets of Egypt. Together, these animals show how Sudan links the wildlife of the Sahara with the savanna of East Africa.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
In Sudan, buffalo are found in the southern reaches of the country, where woodland and grassland habitats still provide suitable conditions. The Dinder National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve near the Ethiopian border, is among the most important refuges for the species. Prolonged instability and unregulated hunting have put pressure on populations, making protected areas critical for the survival of buffalo in the region. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Fennec Fox
Vulpes zerda
In Sudan, the fennec fox lives in the desert north, including the sandy parts of the Libyan Desert along the borders with Egypt, Libya and Chad and the edges of the Nubian Desert. It is a skilled night forager that survives in one of the hottest and driest areas on Earth by spending the day in deep burrows. Because its habitat is so remote, it is rarely seen, and little is known about its numbers in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
In Sudan, hippos live in the south and southeast, along the White and Blue Nile and in Dinder National Park near the border with Ethiopia. This is close to the northern limit of the species today: hippos once lived along the whole Nile into Egypt, where they were wiped out by the early 1800s. Habitat loss, hunting and the war that began in 2023 put pressure on them. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
In Sudan, spotted hyenas live mainly in the south and southeast, with Dinder National Park near the Ethiopian border as one of their best known refuges, where they share the land with buffalo, hartebeest and lions. Further north, in the dry Sahel, they become rare. Livestock losses lead to conflict with herders, and the war that began in 2023 has made wildlife protection even harder. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black backed Jackal
Lupulella mesomelas
In Sudan, the black backed jackal reaches the northern edge of its eastern range. It lives in dry savanna and scrub, where it hunts rodents, birds and insects and scavenges carrion. Wildlife surveys in Sudan are scarce, so little is known about its numbers, but the IUCN lists it as a resident species. Pairs mate for life, and their wailing calls carry far across open country at dusk. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
In Sudan, leopards live in the rocky Red Sea Hills, the Nuba Mountains and the savannas of the southeast near Ethiopia, including Dinder National Park. They are secretive and rarely seen, which makes population estimates difficult, and they feed on baboons, gazelles and smaller prey. Hunting, the spread of farms and settlements and years of conflict have reduced their numbers over recent decades. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Lion
Panthera leo
In Sudan, lions survive in Dinder National Park on the Ethiopian border, part of a wider landscape that includes Ethiopia's Alatash National Park. In 2016 researchers estimated 100 to 200 lions across the Dinder and Alatash area, although dry conditions keep prey and lion numbers low. They are northern lions, related to those of West Africa and India, and conflict has left them very little studied. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
In Sudan, warthogs live in the southern and eastern savannas, with Dinder National Park near the border with Ethiopia as one of their best protected areas. They are absent from the dry north and tend to stay where water and grazing last through the year. Lions, leopards and spotted hyenas share this landscape with them, though all have suffered from hunting. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nubian Ibex
Capra nubiana
In Sudan, the Nubian ibex lives in the Red Sea Hills of the northeast, one of the driest and least studied parts of the country. A darker form of the species is described from here, and the longest ibex horns on record, about 138 cm, came from an animal at the Khartoum Zoo. Herds are small and hard to count, and hunting and competition with livestock for water keep them under pressure. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
In Sudan, the red fox lives in the north of the country, along the Nile Valley, in the Red Sea Hills and on the dry plains and desert edges, often near cultivated land and villages. It is a small, pale desert form that survives on rodents, insects, lizards, dates and whatever else it finds. It shares the northern deserts with the fennec fox. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
Sudan has one of the largest camel populations in Africa. The animals are central to the lives of the Rashaida, Beja, and other pastoral groups living in the arid north and northeast, including the Nubian Desert and the Red Sea Hills. Camels are valued for milk, meat, and transport, and the camel market at Omdurman, just outside Khartoum, is one of the largest and most active in the entire continent. IUCN status: not evaluated.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Sudan, the caracal is present across a broad range of habitats, from dry scrublands in the north to savanna woodlands further south. Its tawny coat provides effective camouflage in these dry, open landscapes. Solitary and mostly nocturnal, it preys on rodents, hares, small antelopes, and birds. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern across its global range, though data specific to Sudan remains limited.
Serval
Leptailurus serval
In Sudan, servals live only in the wetter southeast, far from the desert north. Dinder National Park, with its seasonal pools, floodplains and tall grass along the Dinder and Rahad rivers, is the best known site, and servals were recorded there in surveys between 2015 and 2018. They hunt rodents, birds and frogs mostly at dusk and at night, using their large ears to find prey hidden in the grass. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
In Sudan, the African civet is found in the south and southeast, in savanna woodlands and gallery forests along the Blue Nile and its tributaries. Dinder National Park near the Ethiopian border is the most documented site of presence. The species does not reach the northern desert regions. Its distribution in Sudan connects southward to the populations of South Sudan and Ethiopia. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
The honey badger lives across Sudan's savannas and dry woodlands in the south and east, including Dinder National Park near the Ethiopian border, and along the Nile valley, becoming scarce in the desert north. It digs for rodents, reptiles and insects and raids beehives when it gets the chance. Conflict and the lack of field research make population data scarce for most of the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Sudan the common genet lives in the greener south and center, in savanna woodland and riverside vegetation, and it has been recorded in surveys of the Dinder National Park area near the Ethiopian border. It avoids the open desert of the north. Hunting at night, it eats rodents, birds, lizards and insects, and it spends the day hidden in hollow trees or thick bushes. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
In Sudan, hartebeests survive in the southern and eastern savannas. The Lelwel hartebeest lives near the border with South Sudan, and the Critically Endangered Tora hartebeest once lived along the border with Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it may already have disappeared. Decades of conflict, unregulated hunting and the spread of farming have reduced them far below past numbers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Sudan's bushbucks live in the southeast, far from the desert north. Dinder National Park and the riverine forests along the Blue Nile and its tributaries hold the main populations, of the striped harnessed form. They hide in thick cover by day and feed mostly at night, so they are rarely seen. Males carry short horns with a single twist and can defend themselves fiercely if cornered. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sand Cat
Felis margarita
In Sudan the sand cat lives in the deserts of the north, part of the eastern Sahara, where sandy plains and stony ground stretch for hundreds of kilometers with very little water. It is rarely seen and little studied, but it hunts rodents, birds and reptiles at night and shelters in burrows by day. Fennec foxes and caracals share its range in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
In Sudan the Nile crocodile lives in Lake Nubia, the Sudanese part of the reservoir behind the Aswan High Dam, along the Blue Nile and its tributaries such as the Dinder, in Dinder National Park, and in parts of the White Nile. Numbers are lower than in East Africa after decades of hunting and river changes, and dams and irrigation keep putting pressure on its habitat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
The bateleur occurs in Sudan's southern savanna zones, where open woodland and grassland provide foraging opportunities across large daily territories. Its bold scarlet face and rocking flight make it one of the continent's most distinctive raptors. Classified as Endangered, the species faces threats from land use change and persecution. Its range in Sudan sits at the northern edge of its broader sub Saharan distribution.
Ostrich
Struthio camelus
In Sudan, ostriches are found across the semi arid savannas and scrublands of the south and central regions, including areas bordering the Sahel. Once more widespread, their range has contracted due to hunting and habitat loss. They roam in small groups, feeding on seeds, grasses, and leaves. Standing up to 2.75 meters tall, they are a striking presence in Sudan's open landscapes. Their IUCN status is Least Concern.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Sudan lies within the main passage and wintering zone for steppe eagles traveling between Central Asia and eastern Africa. Birds that round the Red Sea move through the east and center of the country, and some spend the winter in the open savanna and farmland of the south, where they gather at termite emergences, locust swarms and carcasses. Keeping these feeding areas safe matters for this declining eagle. IUCN status: Endangered.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
The griffon vulture does not breed in Sudan but spends the non breeding season here, mostly in winter, when birds from the Middle East and Europe spread across the Sahel. It can be seen along the Nile Valley and over the eastern highlands near the Red Sea, soaring above open savanna and dry scrubland. With a wingspan of up to 2.8 meters, it rides thermals high above the land to find carcasses. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
The white backed vulture is present across the savanna zones of southern Sudan, where it scavenges alongside other vulture species on the open plains. Ongoing conflict and widespread poaching have taken a heavy toll on large mammal populations in the country, reducing food sources for this bird. As a Critically Endangered species, it faces mounting pressure from habitat degradation and deliberate poisoning across the region.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
Sudan's varied landscape, from the Nile valley and its rocky escarpments to the semi arid plains of the north, provides suitable habitat for the lanner falcon. It is one of the more regularly recorded raptors in open country here, hunting birds and occasionally large insects. Pairs nest on cliff faces along the Nile and in the Red Sea Hills region. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
In Sudan, the tawny eagle lives in open dry savanna and semi arid scrub across the north and center of the country, as part of the subspecies that ranges from West Africa to Ethiopia. It feeds on carrion, small animals and food stolen from other birds of prey. Habitat degradation, tree cutting and poison baits used against predators have reduced its numbers here. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
The secretary bird roams the open grasslands and savannas of Sudan, particularly across the central and southern regions where suitable habitat remains. It hunts on foot through these wide, flat landscapes, targeting snakes, rodents, and large insects. Habitat loss driven by agricultural pressure is a growing concern here. The bird also carries the national emblem: Sudan's coat of arms is a secretary bird holding a shield. The IUCN lists the species as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
In Sudan, the African fish eagle lives mainly along the Nile and its tributaries in the south and center of the country. The White Nile and Blue Nile, before they meet at Khartoum, offer the most reliable habitat. Farther north the land becomes very dry and the eagle keeps to the riverbanks. Dinder National Park, on the Ethiopian border, with its seasonal rivers and pools, holds resident pairs. Pairs nest in tall acacias along the banks. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Sudan lies along the wintering and migratory route of the saker falcon, with birds passing through or spending the colder months across the country's semi arid zones and open savannas. The Sahel belt in the south provides suitable foraging habitat during winter. Sudan's role as a passage country makes it relevant to the overall survival of the species across its range. The saker falcon is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found in Sudan in open farmland, oases, and areas near villages along the Nile Valley, the Gezira irrigation scheme, and the Sahel belt in the south. It nests in old buildings, cliff faces, and palm groves, and hunts rodents at night. The vast desert regions of northern Sudan are largely unsuitable habitat. In the agricultural heartland of the Gezira plain and the Nile valley, where rodent damage to sorghum and wheat is a persistent problem, its role as a natural pest controller is particularly valuable.
Crane
Grus grus
Sudan is one of the main wintering areas for common cranes of the eastern flyway. Birds from Russia and eastern Europe cross Turkey, the Levant and Egypt to spend the winter along the Nile and in the farmland and wetlands of the central and eastern plains, including the irrigated Gezira scheme. They arrive in October and November and leave again in February and March to fly back north. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Sudan sits astride the white stork's main eastern migration route between Europe and Africa south of the Sahara. Flocks move through the Nile valley and surrounding grasslands during autumn and spring, and some birds spend the winter in the country's more southern regions. The vast open landscapes of Sudan, including the savanna areas near the South Sudan border, provide important resting and feeding stops during migration.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Sudan is an important wintering country for the white wagtail. From October to March large numbers of birds from Europe and western Asia spread along the Nile and its tributaries, in the irrigated farmland of the Gezira, around towns and at the edges of wetlands, where they run after insects on short grass and mud. Many more pass through on migration between Egypt and East Africa. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In Sudan, the peregrine falcon is recorded as a passage migrant and winter visitor, crossing the country as it moves along the Nile Valley corridor and over the eastern Sahara. The Nile and its surrounding wetlands attract concentrations of birds that the peregrine hunts during its stay. Sudan's vast open landscapes and semi arid zones in the north see the species on passage each year. No confirmed breeding is known from the country. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Sudan lies along the nightingale's wintering route through northeastern Africa, and the bird passes through or overwinters in areas of scrub, acacia woodland, and vegetation along the Nile corridor. It tends to stay close to cover, foraging quietly on the ground for insects and small fruits. During this season it rarely sings, making it easy to overlook despite being present across parts of the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Sudan's Red Sea coast holds one of the most important dugong areas of the region, Dungonab Bay, part of the Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016. The bay's seagrass meadows support a resident group that researchers and divers see regularly. The remote coast has kept them relatively safe, although fishing nets remain a risk. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
In Sudan whale sharks gather at Mohammed Qol, in the Dungonab Bay marine park on the Red Sea coast north of Port Sudan, mainly in spring. Most are young males feeding on plankton in the shallow, sheltered bay. The site is part of a World Heritage marine area and was only described by scientists in the 2010s, so the population is still being studied by photographing each shark's spots. IUCN status: Endangered.
Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
In Sudan the great barracuda lives on the Red Sea reefs off Port Sudan, among the clearest and least crowded in the region. Divers meet it at Sanganeb Atoll and Dungonab Bay, both World Heritage marine parks, and on Sha'ab Rumi, the reef where Jacques Cousteau built his underwater village in 1963. It hangs alone at the reef edge, while schools of smaller barracuda species circle on the reef points. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
In Sudan the tiger shark lives in the Red Sea, off Port Sudan and around Sanganeb Atoll, where it hunts turtles, fish and rays along the reefs and comes close to shore at night. Divers occasionally meet it on the remote offshore reefs. It is seen far less often than the reef sharks of the region, and most records come from fishers. Bites on people along this coast are almost unknown. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrnidae (Sphyrna mokarran, S. lewini and others)
In Sudan scalloped hammerheads gather on the remote reefs of the Red Sea off Port Sudan, especially at Sanganeb Atoll and Angarosh, where schools appear in the blue along the reef walls, mostly in spring and summer. These reefs see very few divers and little fishing, and they are considered among the best places in the Red Sea to see hammerheads. Sanganeb is part of a World Heritage marine area. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Parrotfish
Scaridae
Sudan's Red Sea reefs, among the clearest and least visited in the region, are full of parrotfish. At Sanganeb Atoll and Dungonab Bay, both World Heritage marine parks, the rusty parrotfish grazes in groups across the shallow reef, and larger species, including the humphead parrotfish, can be seen on the outer walls. With little fishing pressure, parrotfish here grow large and help keep the corals free of algae. IUCN status: varies by species.
Reef Shark
Several species (Carcharhinus melanopterus, C. perezi, C. amblyrhynchos, Triaenodon obesus)
Sudan's Red Sea reefs are among the best places in the world to see gray reef sharks. At Sanganeb Atoll and on the south point of Sha'ab Rumi, where Jacques Cousteau built his underwater village in 1963, groups of gray reef sharks patrol the walls, along with whitetips and blacktips in the shallows. With little fishing pressure and few divers, these reefs still hold large numbers of sharks. IUCN status: Vulnerable to Endangered, depending on species.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Sudan?
Sudan is home to lions, leopards, caracals, servals, sand cats, spotted hyenas, black backed jackals, fennec foxes, red foxes, buffalo, hippos, warthogs, hartebeest, bushbucks, Nubian ibex, honey badgers, African civets, common genets and large herds of dromedary camels. The Nile crocodile lives in its rivers. Its birds include the secretary bird, the ostrich, the bateleur, the African fish eagle, the tawny and steppe eagles, griffon and white backed vultures, lanner, saker and peregrine falcons, cranes and storks. Dugongs, whale sharks, parrotfish, barracudas and tiger, hammerhead and reef sharks live along the Red Sea coast.
What is the national animal of Sudan?
The secretary bird is Sudan's national symbol. It appears at the center of the national emblem, holding a shield from the time of the Mahdi, and it was chosen as a bird that belongs to Sudan's own savannas. In Arabic it is often called saqr al jadiyan. It is a tall bird of prey that hunts on foot and is famous for killing snakes with its kicks.
Are there lions in Sudan?
Yes, but only in small numbers. Lions survive mainly in Dinder National Park in the southeast, on the border with Ethiopia, where rangers have reported them along the rivers and seasonal pools, often at night. Hunting, the spread of farms and herds into the park and the loss of their prey have made them much rarer than in the past, and the war that began in 2023 has made it very hard to monitor them.
What animals live in the desert in Sudan?
The deserts of northern Sudan look empty, but many animals live there by hiding from the heat during the day. The fennec fox and the sand cat hunt rodents, insects and lizards at night in the dunes, while the Nubian ibex climbs the rocky slopes of the Red Sea Hills. The dromedary camel is the animal of the desert routes, kept by herders across the north and west. Falcons and vultures also hunt over the open sand.
Are there dugongs in Sudan?
Yes. Dungonab Bay, on Sudan's Red Sea coast north of Port Sudan, is one of the most important places for dugongs in the region, and it is protected as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 2016. These marine mammals feed on seagrass in the shallow, calm water of the bay. The same marine parks protect coral reefs where sharks, whale sharks and many reef fish live.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .