Parks

Parks

17
National park / Kebili

Jebil National Park

National park
Kebili
Area
1500KM2
Protected
1994

Tunisia's largest protected area, a stretch of the Grand Erg Oriental south of Douz where dunes and gravel flats carry little more than retem scrub. Addax bred in a fenced enclosure, dorcas and rhim gazelles, fennec and horned viper live here, and a small eco-museum stands at the park post.

Rules

A PERMIT IS NEEDED TO VISIT

PERMIT
Yes. Authorisation from the Direction Generale des Forets is required before entering the park.
GUIDE
Strongly recommended. Tracks shift with the dunes and there are no landmarks; snake-hunting trips must go with a herpetologist.
SEASON
October to April. Do not attempt the crossing in high summer.
RULES
Four-wheel drive only, in convoy; no ordinary car can reach the park. Guarded shelters exist for visitors, and park guards are posted inside.

Good to know

Habitat
Saharan sand sea and gravel plain with Retama raetam and Calligonum scrub
Wildlife
Addax in a 77 km2 breeding enclosure, dorcas and rhim gazelle, fennec fox, golden wolf, houbara bustard, desert sparrow and horned viper
Getting there
About 70 km south of Douz by unsurfaced piste
Night sky
Almost no light pollution, which makes it one of the country's best places for stargazing

Photographs

Sources

Photos: El Golli Mohamed (CC BY-SA 4.0), HalloulimedAmeur (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sergio Conti (CC BY-SA 2.0)