Djebel Babor Nature Reserve

This beautiful nature reserve is found in northern Algeria on the slopes of Djebel Babor Mountains. The reserve is particularly a protected forest reserve of Mediterranean conifer and mixed forest. This part of Algeria shares an eco-system or bio-sphere with characteristics similar to those seen in southern Spain and in the High Atlas Mountain ranges that cover most of the other part of North Africa’s coast to the Mediterranean Sea.

Other parts of this Algeria nature reserve are on the Grand Kabylie and petitie Kabylie mountains that together form the extensive ranges on the Atlas Mountains. The eco-system is also an important water catchment area with several river and small water streams running through the forests.

Once classified as a national park, Djebel Babor today holds status of a nature reserve having been gazetted in 1985 to protect the few remaining Algerian forests in the northern parts of the country. Nevertheless, there are several threats to the survival of the forest species and trees. Increased human activities such as hunting, grazing and timber extraction are potential threats to extinction of the forest species. Entry to the nature reserve and forest are thus restricted and often wardens are deployed to patrol the nature reserve.

Wildlife

The forest reserve is particularly known to be a habitat for the endangered Barbary Macaque also called Barbary ape, which is one of the rare primate species from the ancient world and times. Other sights if game in the Djebel Babor Nature reserve include the elusive Atlas deer.

There are several species of birds in Djebel Babor Nature reserve. This part of Algeria is particularly good for birding trips with regular sights like pied flycatcher, great spotted woodpecker, rock dove, wood pigeon, Kabylie nuthatch, night jar and hawfinch among several others endangered Mediterranean forest species.