Jebil National Park


Jebil is a national park in Tunisia situated within the Sahara desert. Covering an area of 150,000 hectares, it is the country's largest national park and makes up most of the southern part of the country. Though large, it is relatively new having been designated a national park in 1994. It is the only national park within the Sahara desert proper.

Description

Jebil National Park is located 80 km south of Douz. Its vegetation includes desert shrubs like the Calligonum which are common in regions inhabited by gazelle, hare and horn viper. It also includes the daisy flowering plant Rhanterium. The park has guarded shelters for tourists who frequent the area. Research also takes place in the park, since the site is home to a number of prehistoric artifacts which are studied to learn about the different stages of human history from the Holocene up to World War II. The park covers nearly the entire Grand Erg Oriental within Tunisia.
In the western portion, there are 'gigantic boulders' which were formed through weathering of plutonic rocks.

Fauna

The park is home to a variety of wildlife including the fennec fox, horned viper, cobra, jackal, and the barbary sheep which is endemic to the region. The snakes and other reptiles live under rocks and in sandy depressions. The birds colonizing the area include the lark, raven and bustard.