Jebel Zaghouan National Park
Jebel Zaghouan National Park is a national park in Tunisia located north of Jebel Zaghouan, which culminates at 1295 meters, in the governorate of Zaghouan. It is located 50 km from Tunis, 30 km from Hammamet and 90 km from Sousse. Covering an area of 1920 hectares, this national park is characterized by a sub-humid Mediterranean climate with mild winters which has allowed the installation of certain animal species and the proliferation of very particular vegetation.
The holm oak, the Aleppo pine and the carob tree are the main species of the local flora, while the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, the Egyptian vulture, the wild boar, the jackal, the mongoose, the hare, the lizard and the grass snake are the main species of fauna.
This natural park is also part of a historical conservation perspective with the presence of the Water Temple dating from Roman times. This is the place where mountain springs are captured, the starting point of the Zaghouan aqueduct which supplied water to Carthage in the 2nd century.
There is also the Thuja de Berbèrie grouping and that of the Atlas pistachio tree accompanied by bay leaf, Montpellier maple and wild pear tree. As for the fauna of the park, there are several species of mammals, reptiles and birds. In addition to the presence of the red fox, the golden jackal, the Berber boar, the hare and the gloved cat, we also observe the Greek tortoise, the Mauritanian taranto, the hooded snake, the horseshoe snake and the ocellated lizard from North Africa. But the reputation of the park is based on the presence of bats, especially the pipistrelle, the smallest of them.
An entrance fee is already planned for 2010.