Motorized poaching poses severe threat to desert wildlife

Wildlife in the Algerian desert is under serious threat due to illegal hunting activities involving motorcycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles. Environmental groups have warned that this uncontrolled pursuit of species such as gazelles, Barbary sheep, fennecs, and hares is depleting biodiversity. The National Association for Houbara Breeding and Wildlife Conservation stated that motorcycles allow poachers to chase animals over long distances, leading to extreme exhaustion, injuries, and death. These vehicles enable intruders to breach previously safe havens, including rugged mountain areas like Hoggar and Tassili, putting the Barbary sheep at high risk. Furthermore, the use of high-intensity floodlights during nighttime hunts disrupts the behavior of nocturnal animals like fennecs and foxes, leaving them vulnerable to being run over or trapped.