Maghreb Edition

Algeria: The return of the Saharan cheetah to the Hoggar MountainsF

Posted On 20 May 2020

Number of times this article was read : 974

Algiers, May 20, 2020 – Naturalists in Algeria have filmed a Saharan cheetah, a subspecies listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, for the first time in a decade, the national parks authority said. The animal was spotted in the Hoggar Mountains national park in the vast country’s desert south, parks official Salah Amokrane told the state-run APS news agency. Amokrane was speaking at the release on Monday of a documentary on the work of the park’s scientists, which includes images of the cheetah taken in the Atakor volcanic field whose peaks approach a height of 3,000 metres (9,800
feet).

The Saharan cheetah is quite different in appearance from the other African cheetahs. Its coat is shorter and paler in colour.
Its range is now limited to isolated pockets across the Sahara and Sahel from Mali in the west to the Central African Republic in the east. The subspecies was last seen in the Hoggar Mountains in 2008-10 when four individuals were recorded by camera traps. In 2012, the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated the remaining population in Algeria at just 37 individuals.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Algeria Deploys Water Bombers as Fires Threaten Mountain VillagesF

Algeria is battling a severe wildfire emergency this summer, with blazes ripping through forests, orchards, and grain fields across multiple regions. Civil protection officials say firefighters have had almost no respite, as more than a hundred fires flared up in a single day.

Algeria: New Record for Electricity Demand Amid Brutal Heat WaveF

Algeria has set a new record for electricity demand as a punishing heat wave drives temperatures close to 49°C and wildfires burn across multiple regions. The state utility Sonelgaz says power use climbed above 21,300 megawatts on July 13, continuing a steep, year‑over‑year rise in summer load on the grid.

North Africa and the Sahel on Alert Over Locust UpsurgeF

FAO monitoring shows Northwest Africa entering a new phase of desert locust activity, with Morocco facing the highest pressure and neighboring countries preparing for possible summer migrations toward Sahelian breeding zones.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.