RFI Morocco

Hi,

I will be spending a few days in Morocco in February, overnighting in Agadir, Oukaimeden, Boumalne Dades and (probably) Taroudant.

Does anyone know if there are still Cuvier’s Gazelle near Tafingoult, and if so are they view-able?

I’d like to catch up with Barbary Macaque: again, I’ve heard Ourika Valley is a good place. Any more specific information on these?

Similarly, any advice on Striped Ground Squirrel: I’ve read ‘argan forests east of Taroudant’, but anything more specific?

Are Barbary Sheep or any other big mammals do-able anywhere along the way?

Thanks in advance!

10 Comments

  • taihaku

    I’m also heading to Morocco (in May), in addition to the above questions I’d love to hear from anyone with thoughts/knowledge on the viewability of the various gazelles and oryx at Oued Soussa.

    • brugiere dominique

      You can see Cuvier s gazelle near Tafinegoult: Look where they are argans trees on the slopes above the village. You can see Barbary macaques at Cascade d Ouzoud or near Ifrance in foeret de cedres. For Oryx they are easy in a fenced area near Tifnit in a fenced area as Dorcas gazelle. They are also Addax inother fences area a little north. Barbary squirrels are easy to get in any open place near Agadir.

      • markhowsMark Hows

        Can you help with directions to the Addax enclosure

        Thanks

        Mark

        • brugiere dominique

          You can see Addax in an enclosure near Takat ( is is a village south of Agadir on the way to the see. But if Dorcas gazelles are easy to see, I saw only 1 Addax. Better if you can go in the fqar south, just 17km north of the border with Mauritania, there is a fenced reserve in a better habitat. They are easy to see from outside and there also Dama gazelles in the rserve. Dorcas are present outise but difficult to see. The reserve is just 7 km from the tarmac road but you can t reach it with a normal car. But you can walk as I did.

          Dominique

      • philipprecey

        The Souss Massa enclosures sound interesting: are they accessible by normal car/easy to find?

  • white1985

    We’ll be in Morocco in February as well.

    There is a bit of recent mammal info on observado
    http://morocco.observation.org/waarnemingen_all_wg3.php?groep=2&family=0&z=1
    Nothing on Cuvier’s gazelle though…
    It does seem possible to see Dorcas gazelle around Agadir
    http://morocco.observation.org/waarneming/view/75120867

  • philipprecey

    Mixed success from Morocco.

    The enclosure at Tifnit gave good views of about 20 Dorcas Gazelle and three Oryx that almost felt like the real thing, by walking along the western boundary of the fence. The animals were in the more open sub-enclosure, after the bizarre eucalyptus ‘savannah’, and were all pretty wary of the lone figure on the horizon. Also plenty of small mammal tracks in the sand dunes on the right side of the fence, including hedgehog and mongoose.

    The enclosure at Takat is much bigger, and I didn’t attempt to view that one: something for next year. No sign of any Cuvier’s Gazelles around Tafinegoult, nor macaques in the (when I was there, very very busy) Ourika Valley.

    Around the Tagdilt Track, Fat Sand Rat are plentiful: I probably did too much lone driving during my four days, and didn’t have the energy for night driving as well.

Leave a Reply