The number of endangered species in Egypt is rapidly rising, and wildlife and marine life are threatened due to illegal poaching and habitat loss, according to the director of the Biodiversity Department within the General Directorate of Nature Conservation, Ayman Hamada.
Egypt consists of vast deserts, bordered by the shores of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and is home to the longest river in the world, the Nile, making it a suitable habitat for various species. Nonetheless, many animals are battling with extinction in Egypt across different natural habitats. Here are some of the most important endangered animals in Egypt:
Egyptian Vulture
The endangered bird has a small beak that helps it feed on small birds, small fish, and also rotten fruit.
The Egyptian Vulture faces endangerment in Egypt due to various reasons, ranging from habitat loss due to urbanization and agricultural expansion, poisoning incidents, human disturbance at nesting sites, accidental power lines electrocution, and illegal hunting. With various habitat protection efforts, banning hunting, and establishment of protected areas, Egyptian authorities are working on preserving the distinctive bird.
Dugong
Known as the “sea cow”, the Dugong feeds on seagrass and requires muscular upper lips to touch and uproot seagrass from the seabed.
The animal faces severe endangerment globally due to the loss of its seagrass habitat caused by coastal development, sea pollution, and human activities, leading to starvation. The Egyptian Ministry of Environment created management strategies, in 2007, to protect Abu Dabbab Bay and its inhabitants, including dugongs.
Addax
The endangered animal is a herbivore, feeding on grasses, leaves, and other vegetation. It mainly lives in the desert in North Africa, scattered across sand dunes in the Egyptian desert, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
It is known for its distinctive spiral-shaped horns and pale coat, which helps it blend in with its desert environment. There has been a significant decrease in their number due to hunting, making them endangered in Egypt.
Sinai Blue Butterfly
The Sinai Blue Butterfly is a beautiful species that lives in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, within the St. Katherine Protectorate. It is known for its striking blue coloration, which varies in intensity depending. One of the main reasons it is facing extinction is the scarcity of its primary food source, the Sinai thyme plant, which has become increasingly rare due to overgrazing and harvesting for medical purposes.
Striped Hyena
The striped hyena is a scavenger that feeds on carcasses, eggs, fruits, and insects. The striped hyena lives in some parts of Egypt, with its population actively declining, formerly living along the margins of the Nile Delta and Nile Valley and commonly entered towns searching for food.
According to Richard Hoath, a British mammal specialist, “Striped hyenas have been persecuted by humans throughout history,” he explains, “because of a typical association of nocturnal animals, like owls and bats, with death.”
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