Sustainable tourism in Tunisia

The fastest bird in the world, the pelegrin (falco perigrinus), inhabits the rocky cliffs of the Tunisian dorsal. With a cruising speed of 110 k/h, when it goes for its prey it can reach a speed of up to 300 km/h. Half of the Mediterranean’s water birds spend the winter months in the Gulf of Gabes, around 350 000 birds including waders, ducks and other water birds. An ornithologists paradise! The rubiette de moussier is found only in North Africa. This bundle of feathers chooses our forests and bush as its habitat.

"Chaambi National Park" in the north of the Sahara is one of the last refuges of the hyena and one of the only example of this particular species. Barbary sheep and mountain gazelles can also be seen in this park. Despite the reputation of the desert as an inhospitable environment it is home to an extremely rich flora and fauna, especially adapted to the harsh conditions. The spinytailed lizard for example is a lizard that does not seem to have changed since prehistory and by exclusively feeding on vegetation has adapted itself perfectly to the desert. Despite the short distance between the North and South of Tunisia there is a panoply of different ecosystems, from desert to forest, each with their own richly contrasting flora. The orchid, a flower at the peak of plant evolution, covers the whole of the North of the country. At a weight of 2–3 grams and a length of 7 cm the smallest mammal in the world can be found hiding in holes in the Tunisian dorsal. It’s called the Etruscan Shrewmouse.

The Golden Eagle is monarch of the Tunisian cliffs and the largest eagle in Africa. With its piercing stare it watches the migrating predators cross the Sahara in their perilous journey to Europe. The phrase "Tunisia, Gazelle Country" originated with the four types of gazelle; dorcas, mohr, slender-horned and montagnes; that share the various ecosystems. Tunisia is also interesting for the originality of its geological formations, deep in the limestone mountains you will find the largest grottoes in North Africa. In the Medenine region you will find Tunisia’s African scale geological miracle: the only outcrop of geological strata dating back to the first Permian (more than 250 million years ago).

SPANA - Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad

12 Rue Tantaoui El Jawahiri, El Omrane

1005 TUNIS

Tel: + 216 (1) 288 141

Fax: + 216 (1) 797 295

Email

Cats; Dogs; Equines; Animal Control Agency

Tunis S.P.A.

Boulevard Du 3 Ao-t, Boîte Postale 167

1009 EL QUARDIA, TUNIS

Tel: + 216 (1) 390 167

Fax: + 216 (1) 397 696

UNEP - Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA)

PB 337 CEDEX

1080 TUNIS

Tel: + 216 (1) 795 760

Fax: + 216 (1) 797 349

Email

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