Animals in Yemen
Arabian Leopard
Panthera pardus nimr
The Arabian leopard is the official national animal of Yemen. Cabinet Decree 260 of 2009 named it a symbol of wildlife and national identity and backed a ban on hunting and trafficking it. It is listed as Critically Endangered, with fewer than 120 thought to survive across all of Arabia, and it still lives in scattered Yemeni mountains such as those of Al Dhalea, Lahj and Al Mahra, where killings continue.
View details→Wildlife in Yemen
Yemen covers about 528,000 square kilometers at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, with coasts on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Most of its people live in the western highlands, which rise near Sanaa to Jabal An Nabi Shuayb, at about 3,666 meters the highest mountain in Arabia. From there the land drops to the hot Tihama plain by the Red Sea, the deep valleys of Hadhramaut and the sands of the Empty Quarter, and far offshore lies the island of Socotra. Rain falls mainly in the mountains and the far east, so most wild animals depend on terraces, wooded valleys and rocky slopes, while summer mist in the east feeds the forest of Hawf.
Farming and herding on those terraces shaped life here for thousands of years, and goats, sheep and camels still share the land with wild animals. Formal protection is young: Socotra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and the mainland has only a few declared reserves, such as Bura and Hawf. War since 2014 has weakened them further, although a 2014 law bans the hunting and trade of sea turtles, which nest at places like Sharma on the Hadhramaut coast.
Few tourists reach the mainland today. Those who do come usually fly to Socotra for its strange trees and reptiles, and even that route is fragile: flights stopped in early 2026, and hundreds of visitors had to be evacuated. Wildlife follows these contrasts: big cats, wolves and ibex in the mountains, gazelles and hyenas on the dry plains, and sharks, reef fish and turtles along the coasts.
Most Dangerous Animals in Yemen
Very little is recorded about wild animal attacks in Yemen. War has limited research for more than a decade, and we did not find a national count of injuries for any species, so the picture below is incomplete.
Big cats are the largest land predators, but the clear evidence shows them as victims rather than attackers. A project report tallies 22 of them killed or caught from 2015 to 2022, and a government official documented 18 killings in the Al Dhalea area. Most of this follows the loss of goats and sheep, which is the real point of conflict with people. We found no recent report of a person killed by one.
Wolves and hyenas live in rural areas where people keep goats and sheep, and in Shabwah a rare white wolf was killed, but we found no clear reports of either harming people. Ratels are small and known for defending themselves fiercely at close range, although contact with them is rare.
In the sea, Yemen has large sharks, including species that are dangerous elsewhere, and barracudas that hunt close to reefs. Many fishermen work these waters in small boats, so they would be the people most exposed, yet we found no reliable figures on shark attacks in Yemeni waters. That lack of data is itself worth noting, since incidents here may simply go unreported.
Top 10 Animals in Yemen
The best known wild animals in Yemen live in the mountains, far from any tourist route. Big cats are the most famous and the hardest to find. Yemen's Environment Protection Authority lists them in governorates from Saada and Hajjah in the west to Al Mahra in the east, and camera traps caught one at Hawf in 2011, though later records there have come mainly from animals killed.
Wolves and hyenas also survive in the highlands, and the Utma protected area in the southwest is one of the places reported to hold both. Caracals, smaller wild cats with tufted ears, share the same rough country, and genets hunt at night in wooded valleys.
Camels are the exception, since they are domestic and easy to see on the plains and along desert roads. Chameleons live in the highlands too: one famous kind is native only to the mountains of western Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Birds give the widest choice, with about 464 species recorded in the country. Storks pass through on migration, while eagles and falcons hunt over the mountains and open land. Because the war limits fieldwork, many of these ranges are uncertain, and some records are years old.
Arabian Leopard
Panthera pardus nimr
Yemen is one of only two countries where the Arabian leopard still lives in the wild. It survives in scattered parts of the western highlands and in Al Mahrah, where the Hawf mountains connect with Oman's Dhofar. Since the war began in 2015, field surveys have been rare, while poaching, poisoning and the loss of wild prey have hit hard. Local groups still record leopards with camera traps. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Nubian Ibex
Capra nubiana
In Yemen, the Nubian ibex survives in the mountains and wadis of Hadramawt, one of its most important refuges in Arabia. Years of war weakened hunting controls and brought the species close to disappearing here, and Yemeni herds are among the most at risk in the whole range. A private sanctuary in eastern Hadramawt now protects more than 50 ibexes, which are slowly recovering. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Arabian Gazelle
Gazella arabica
Arabian gazelles still live in Yemen, in dry valleys, plains and mountain foothills where acacia gives them food and shade. The war that began in 2015 has stopped wildlife surveys, so there is no recent estimate of how many remain, and hunting goes largely unchecked. They share these dry lands with Nubian ibex, wolves and caracals, all under similar pressure. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
The Arabian wolf, a small subspecies of the gray wolf, is found in Yemen in the mountainous interior and some arid lowland areas. It is one of the rarest forms of the species, surviving in a country where ongoing conflict has made wildlife monitoring extremely difficult. Prey scarcity and persecution by local communities are serious threats. The broader gray wolf species is listed as Least Concern globally, but the Arabian wolf faces much greater local pressure.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
The red fox lives in Yemen on the high plateaus and mountains around Sana'a, in the terraced farmland of the highlands, on the dry coastal plain of the Tihama and in the desert edges to the east. It belongs to the small, pale Arabian red fox and eats rodents, insects, fruit and scraps. Years of conflict have made wildlife surveys difficult, but it is not considered threatened. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Dromedary Camel
Camelus dromedarius
Dromedary camels are found across the arid lowlands and desert regions of Yemen, including the Hadramawt plateau and the Tihama coastal plain. Pastoral communities rely on them for milk, meat, and transport, particularly in areas where roads are poor or nonexistent. Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis, camels remain a vital resource for rural Yemeni families, providing food and a means of moving goods across difficult terrain. IUCN status: not evaluated.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In Yemen, the caracal is found in rocky escarpments, dry shrublands, and dry valleys across the country, including highland areas. It preys primarily on small mammals and birds. The ongoing conflict in Yemen has severely restricted wildlife monitoring, leaving population estimates uncertain. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN at the global level, the species faces particular vulnerability in Yemen due to the collapse of conservation infrastructure.
Striped Hyena
Hyaena hyaena
In Yemen, striped hyenas of the Arabian subspecies live in the rugged mountains, rocky wadis and dry coastal plains, where they share the land with Arabian leopards, Nubian ibex and Arabian gazelles. They are nocturnal and solitary, scavenging carcasses and eating fruit and small animals. The long war has stopped almost all wildlife monitoring, so their numbers are unknown. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
The honey badger ranges across Yemen's mountains and arid lowlands, from the highlands of the west to the coastal plains along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the dry country of Hadhramaut. It hunts reptiles, rodents and insects and tolerates the hot climate well. Years of conflict have made field research very difficult, so little is known about its local status. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Yemen the common genet lives in the western and southern mountains and along the coastal plains, where terraced slopes, rocky escarpments, wadis and shrub cover give it shelter. Yemen is one of the few places outside Africa where the species occurs naturally, part of a population that also reaches Saudi Arabia and Oman. Nocturnal and elusive, it eats small animals, insects and fruit. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Yemen has important green turtle nesting beaches on its Arabian Sea coast, especially at Ras Sharma near Mukalla, and on the Socotra Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where green turtles nest on remote beaches and graze around the islands. Green turtles also use the Red Sea coast. Ongoing conflict has severely limited conservation work, and turtle populations in Yemeni waters are largely unmonitored. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chameleon
Chamaeleonidae
Yemen is the home of the veiled chameleon, named for the tall casque on its head, which lives in the western highlands and their valleys, from terraced farms to acacia woods, and even eats leaves to get water. The common chameleon also lives in the west of the country. Years of conflict have made any systematic study of their populations very difficult. It is one of the most recognizable reptiles of Arabia. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Yemen is part of the puff adder's small Arabian range, separated from Africa by the Red Sea. It lives in the western and southern parts of the country, in dry hills, valleys and farmland. Arabian puff adders are smaller than African ones, usually under 80 centimeters. It hunts rodents from ambush, and its venom destroys tissue. Honey badgers and bateleurs are among its predators. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia are the bateleur's foothold in Asia. The birds occupy the western highlands and the wooded escarpment above the Tihama coastal plain, where rainfall is high enough to support the tall trees they nest in. It is a small relict population, cut off from the African range by the Red Sea, and years of conflict have left it almost unmonitored. The IUCN classifies it as Endangered.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Yemen holds one of the most famous crossing points for the steppe eagle: the Bab el Mandeb strait, between Arabia and the Horn of Africa. In the autumn of 1987 about 76,000 steppe eagles were counted crossing here. Many birds also spend the winter in Yemen's highlands and plains. The ongoing conflict has made systematic monitoring very difficult, leaving much about its use of this corridor unknown today. IUCN status: Endangered.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Yemen's rugged mountains and deep wadis provide nesting habitat for griffon vultures, particularly in the western highlands along the Haraz and Sarawat ranges. These birds nest in colonies on steep cliff faces and soar over arid plains in search of carrion. The ongoing conflict in the country has made wildlife monitoring difficult, but griffon vultures remain a visible part of Yemen's skies. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In Yemen, the lanner falcon is found in the highland plateaus, steep wadis, and rocky desert terrain that stretch across much of the country. It nests on cliff ledges and hunts birds across open ground. The species has long been valued in the falconry tradition of the Arabian Peninsula. It holds a Least Concern status with the IUCN, though ongoing conflict limits monitoring efforts.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
In Yemen, the tawny eagle lives in the arid lowlands and foothills of the west, at the northern edge of its African and Arabian subspecies. It mixes active hunting with scavenging in this dry country, but few breeding records have been confirmed in recent decades. The ongoing conflict has made wildlife monitoring very hard, so its status is uncertain. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Yemen serves as a wintering ground for saker falcons migrating south from their Central Asian and Eastern European breeding areas. The species moves through and into the Arabian Peninsula each year, and Yemen's varied landscapes offer stopover and foraging habitat along the way. Demand for sakers in the falconry trade has long put pressure on the species throughout this region. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found in Yemen in open farmland, wadis, and areas near villages and towns from the coastal Tihama plain and the western highlands to the desert fringes of the interior. It nests in old buildings, cliff faces, and rocky outcrops, and hunts rodents and other small prey at night. The terraced agricultural landscapes of the Yemeni highlands, among the most ancient in the world, provide reliable habitat. In farming communities across the country it offers natural control of the rodent populations that damage stored grain.
Crane
Grus grus
Yemen lies at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, near the end of the common crane's eastern flyway. Small numbers arrive in winter and on migration, when birds crossing Arabia toward the Horn of Africa rest on farmland in the highlands and on the Tihama coastal plain along the Red Sea. Records are scattered, and ongoing conflict has made regular bird surveys in the country very difficult. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Yemen sits on the migratory route between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and white storks have been recorded passing through during seasonal movements. Open valleys and agricultural areas in the highlands can offer temporary feeding stops for birds on the move. The species is not a regular breeder here, but migratory records confirm its passage. Ongoing conflict has made detailed wildlife monitoring in Yemen extremely difficult in recent years. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
In Yemen the white wagtail is a winter visitor and migrant, arriving from Europe and western Asia in autumn and staying until spring. It is found on the Tihama coastal plain along the Red Sea, in the highland valleys and terraced fields around Sana'a, and on the southern coast, wherever open ground meets water, including wadis, irrigated fields and town edges. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon passes through Yemen during migration, following routes along the Red Sea coast and over the Arabian Peninsula. Coastal cliffs and rocky escarpments in the western highlands offer resting points for birds moving between Africa and Asia. Yemen sits on a significant flyway, and falcons can be spotted riding thermals over rugged terrain. The species holds the status of Least Concern globally.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
In Yemen, the nightingale does not breed or spend the winter: it is only a passage migrant. Birds from the breeding grounds of Turkey, Iran and central Asia cross the Arabian Peninsula on their way to and from East Africa, mainly in spring and in early autumn. They stop briefly in gardens, parks, farms and oases with dense cover, where they feed quietly and rarely sing before moving on. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In Yemen, the golden eagle is a scarce resident of the northern highlands and the high mountains of the west, at the southern edge of its range in Arabia. It hunts hares, partridges, hyraxes and reptiles and nests on cliffs. The ongoing conflict has made wildlife surveys very hard, so its numbers and trends are unknown. Pairs need huge territories here, because prey is thin on the ground. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
Yemen has the greater flamingo, present year round, and the lesser flamingo, which visits outside the breeding season. Both are found along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in lagoons, salt pans and tidal flats, and on the island of Socotra. The two species filter algae and small crustaceans from the salty water, and their numbers change with the seasons and with water levels in the lagoons. IUCN status: greater flamingo Least Concern, lesser flamingo Near Threatened.
Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
In Yemen the great barracuda lives on the Red Sea coast, in the Gulf of Aden and around the Socotra Archipelago, a World Heritage site with reefs where Indian Ocean, Red Sea and African fish meet. Far from tourism and with little diving, large fish are still common around Socotra and the islands of the Red Sea. It is a regular catch for Yemeni artisanal fishers and is sold fresh and dried in coastal markets. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
In Yemen the tiger shark lives in the Red Sea, along the coast and around the Socotra Archipelago, where it hunts turtles, fish and rays along the reefs and comes close to shore at night. Yemen has a large artisanal shark fishery that dries the meat and exports the fins. It is seen far less often than the reef sharks of the region, and most records come from fishers. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Parrotfish
Scaridae
In Yemen parrotfish graze the reefs of the Red Sea coast, the Gulf of Aden and the Socotra Archipelago, a World Heritage site where Indian Ocean, Red Sea and African fish meet. The rusty parrotfish, found only in the seas around Arabia, is among the most common species, and larger ones also live around Socotra. With little diving, these reefs are poorly studied, but parrotfish are a regular catch for Yemeni coastal fishers. IUCN status: varies by species.
Reef Shark
Several species (Carcharhinus melanopterus, C. perezi, C. amblyrhynchos, Triaenodon obesus)
In Yemen reef sharks live on the reefs of the Red Sea coast, the Gulf of Aden and the Socotra Archipelago, a World Heritage site where blacktip and whitetip reef sharks use shallow reefs and lagoons. With little diving, these reefs are poorly studied, but sharks are an important catch for Yemeni fishers, who dry the meat and export the fins, and their numbers are thought to have declined. IUCN status: Vulnerable to Endangered, depending on species.
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
In Yemen the bull shark lives along the Red Sea coast and the Gulf of Aden, in shallow coastal waters, lagoons and the mouths of seasonal wadis, the dry riverbeds that flood after rain. Young sharks use the mangroves of the Red Sea coast as nurseries. Yemen has a large artisanal shark fishery, and sharks are caught for their meat, much of it dried, and for their fins, which are exported. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Yemen?
Yemen is home to Arabian leopards, gray wolves, striped hyenas, caracals, honey badgers, Nubian ibex and Arabian gazelles. Its birds include golden eagles, griffon vultures, flamingos and storks, while sea turtles, reef sharks and parrotfish live along its coasts.
What is the national animal of Yemen?
The Arabian leopard is the national animal of Yemen. A cabinet decree in 2009 named it a symbol of wildlife and national identity. It is Critically Endangered, and hunting continues in parts of the country, often after leopards take livestock.
How many Arabian leopards are left in Yemen?
No reliable count exists for Yemen. Across all of Arabia, the most recent estimate is fewer than 100 to 120 in the wild, in small groups in Yemen and Oman. Yemeni officials believe more may survive than records show, but a project report tallies 22 killed or caught from 2015 to 2022.
What animals live on Socotra?
Socotra is known above all for reptiles and birds. About 90 percent of its reptile species are found nowhere else, and close to 200 bird species have been recorded there, including several unique to the island. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2008.
Are there chameleons in Yemen?
Yes. The veiled chameleon, also called the Yemen chameleon, is native only to a small area of western Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia. Socotra also has reptiles found nowhere else in the world, which helped earn the island its UNESCO listing.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .