Location: Map
Area: 33,800 hectares
Souss-Massa National Park is located in the South- west Morocco. Souss-Massa National Park covers an area of 33,800 hectares. Souss- Massa National Park is a nature preserve that covers 33,800 hectares of untouches bioreserve on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It was recently created in 1991.
fauna
mammals
In the north of the sanctuary,
in a large fenced area, mhorr's gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr), a
subspecies of dama gazelle, saber antelope and addax, and the North
African ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus), which is a subspecies of
the African ostrich, have been reintroduced. Although the Addax
antelope was not native to the area in historical times, over 500
animals now (as of 2007) live in the large outdoor enclosures.
Sous-Massa is home to the largest semi-wild herd of this endangered
species, from where the animals are released in parts of their
former range, such as in the Dakhla National Park. The large
enclosures of the reserve are also an important population center
for the Mhorr gazelle. The Mhorr gazelle has been considered extinct
in the wild since 1968. However, seven copies survived in a private
collection. From a breeding station in AlmerÃa, they were then
distributed to various zoological gardens, e.g. B. to Frankfurt,
Munich and Berlin. Bred Mhorr gazelles came back to Souss-Massa in
1994 from the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich.
A number of mammal
species also occur outside of this fenced area such as honey badger,
wild cat, ichneumon (a species of mongoose), common roundleaf bat,
Atlas squirrel, North African elephant shrew, Hoogstraal gerbil and
Barbary striped mouse. Everywhere along the banks of the Oued Massa
you can find the tracks of the wild boar, which rummages through the
ground for food. Even the otter has been sighted, but this is
unusual. Once upon a time, the Cuvier's gazelle was also at home
here.
birds
275 different bird species have been recorded
in Souss-Massa, including resident and migratory birds. Typical
species found along the coast include white stork, the three heron
species (little egret, gray heron and scaly heron), tern, European
roller, bee-eater and barn swallow. Huge flocks of migratory birds
from Europe appear at the mouth of the Oued Massa in winter. Up to
4000 ducks, especially pintail, shoveler and pochard are attracted
to the wetlands. But also coot, oystercatcher, crane, great crested
grebe, gray heron, marmot and ruddy shelduck.
Black-winged
stilt, avocet and the occasional black stork and glossy ibis can be
found in the unused salt pans. In 1980 the cormorant subspecies
Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus was discovered in the Souss-Massa
region. In the estuary of the Oued Souss you could already see the
endangered thin-billed curlew. Spoonbills from the Netherlands and
the greater flamingo also spend the winter here. Audouin's gulls and
ospreys have also been observed on the marshes.
In the steppe
areas, the Mediterranean gray shrike, woodchat shrike, Senegal
chagra, Sardinian warbler, chiffchaff, diademed redstart, little
owl, magpie, palm dove, spotted cuckoo and the widespread gray
bulbul occur.
The driest areas were inhabited by coursers,
curlews, little bustards and collared bustards. Double-spurred
francolin and Arabian bustard have also been observed. The rocky
coast is the refuge of the brown-throated sand martin, Eleonora's
falcon and lanner falcon. One of the last free occurrences of the
northern bald ibis can also be found here, which breeds in three
breeding colonies from March to September. Because of its rarity and
threat, the northern bald ibis is still listed as Critically
Endangered by the IUCN. However, around 2000 animals are kept in
zoos and reintroduction programs are running in Austria, Spain and
Morocco.
flora
The low-lying coastal area consists of
several isolated water lagoons and spits, which are mainly covered
by cattails, rushes and foxtails. On the elongated dunes you will
find cyper grass and yellow restharrow. Inland, there are eucalyptus
(imported from Australia), savannah trees and argan trees, which,
for example, turn into spurge plants. A large area is also covered
by succulents, which only occur on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and
Mauritania, e.g. B. Ice Plants, Spurge, Kalanchoe, Ragweed and
Bean-like Yolk. The vegetation of large parts of the steppe-like
garigue consists of resthocks, sea lavender and egretsbill.