biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

the Sahara and desertic steppes. Although probably never numerous,
elender-horned gazelles became quite rare in the recent past. Currectly,
ecattered populations have been increasing in number.
Whether on not buffalo Bubalis bubalis are truly native to Tunisia is
uncertaic, but doubtful. However, it is believed that there were buffalo
at Ichkeul in Carthaginian times and there were about 1,000 in 1882 (~1-
Ghezal 1982). After uncontrolled hunting, only 3 buffalo remained in
1961. Protection measures were taken and a reproduction program was
started at Dar Chichou to increase the herd.
Aoudad hUm0tra~uS lervia (also known as barbary mountain eheep) were
once foucd on almost all of the mountains of south-central Tunisia;
especially Djebels Chambi, Selloum, Semmama, Bou Hedma, Berda, Oum Ali and
Tebaga (~avaudec 1924). Hunting eliminated the aoudad from many of the
mountaics, but small groups survived near Chambi, Bou Hedma, Tebaga, etc.
and once protectioc was given, the slow process of reproduction and
disperslor, begac. The recolo~ization of former range is hampered by
hucticg ard habitat degradation.
If berbary hyeca Hyaeca hyaana barbara were not completely sliminated
from T.~cisie ic the past, their numbers were reduced to very few animals.
Dispersioc from hyeca populations in Algeria started the populatioc of
hyecas ic Tacisia increasing. Today, hyenas are spreading north and
eastward alocg the Tunisian Dorsal, High Tell and High Steppe relatively
rapidly. the animals are becoming locally numerous, especially in the
Kasserice regioc.
Nor-k seals Mocachus mocachus were once found on Tunisia's north coast,
Zembra island acd Cap ~ o m h i e 1978). r Today, the only location in
Tunisia where that ecdangered mammal is found is the Galite archipelago
(~ectioc 3.2.1 1. An English expedition in 1978 found only 5 adults and
one juvenile at the archipelago (~osser 1978). Although the secretive
cature of the seals may have resulted in an underestimation of the number,
it is not likely that there were more than 10 seals at that time. The low
numbar caused concerc that there would be an ultimate breeding collapse
due to lack of genetic diversity. A decrease in sightings in recent years
has added to the coccern for the seals. Only one monk seal was observed
at Galite in 1986 (IUCN 1987) and it is not likely that the population
will recover on its om..
European rabbits Oryctolams cuniculus originated in North Africa and
then spread into West Europe. A North African subspecies 0. c. a1 irus
lives on three of Tunisia's archipelagos (Galite, Zembra, K u r i a i h is
possible that the rabbits may have been brought to the islands by
Phoeniciacs (Gaulthier 1978) as a food reserve, or they may have crossed
land bridges from the mainland when the seas were lower during glacial
periads. There are no rabbits on the mainland today, so this North
African ecdemic subspecies is of special interest as a genetic resource.
Othir animals of interest include rare otters Lutra lutra, which occur
ir the lakes acd rivers of northerc Tucisia; wild boar Sus scrofa
barbans, which are numerods north of the High Steppe and sparse in the
southerc mountaice; acd a shrew Suncus etruscus that is said to be the
smallest mammal ic the world.