Down at the base of the Persian Gulf lies the Emirate of Kuwait, which is a small desert principality with a lot of petroleum products to sell on the world market. Kuwait is an erratically shaped country running about 100 miles by 126 miles at its widest points. There are really only two types of terrain in the country. There are various forms of hot, dry deserts and a small region of tidal flats and salt marshes along the coast. While it is searingly hot in the summer, winter temperatures can average down into the 50s, which can make for quite a contrast.
The Official National Animal Of Kuwait
The official national animal of Kuwait is the Arabian Camel, or Dromedary as it is sometimes called. There is also a national bird species, which is the Saker Falcon. This is a good-sized member of the falcon family that makes its home in central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals In Kuwait
Apart from various domesticated species such as the camel, finding wildlife in Kuwait is not an easy task. The increasingly harsh desert climate was never very conducive to animals, and their numbers have fallen even further due to human intervention as well as climate degradation. Much of what is worth viewing in Kuwait is severely endangered and thus extremely rare to catch sight of under any circumstances.
A number of nature reserves have been established but they are often in close proximity to oil fields and other industrial sites. The Al-Jahra Natural Reserve is an interesting case in point. It is actually a man-made wetland reserve built around a series of wastewater treatment facilities that can at times render it as noisome as it can be beautiful.
Most viewing sites are found along the coast, where there is sufficient water to support wildlife and sufficient food to permit the survival of a limited number of species, particularly birds.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Kuwait
Most of the really dangerous animals of Kuwait are now considered to be extinct, at least in Kuwait itself. Among those that are not extinct, many of them are still very rare, and thus it is not likely to encounter them. For the ones that are still occasionally found, the various members of the snake tribe are likely to be the deadliest.
Since these creatures tend to burrow down into the sand in order to stay cool during the heat of the day, they are not often discovered visually. That dynamic switches over after the sun goes down. They may then choose to take advantage of your body heat during the relatively cool nights, which are hard on cold-blooded creatures such as the Cobra. These reptiles are not really being predatory towards humans but simply cuddling up next to them to stay warm. Finding a cobra in your bed, however, is not likely to be regarded as a compliment.
Another unique creature that is occasionally seen in Kuwait is the Honey Badger, which has been tagged as the fiercest animal in the world. Yet it is extremely rare inside the country and represents less of a threat than the more numerous risks offered by cobras and other dangerous snakes.
Endangered Animals In Kuwait
With the exception of domesticated species such as camels, it is probably easier to ask which species inside Kuwait are not endangered. Given the harsh terrain and the large degree of industrial development in many of the most salubrious parts of the emirate, almost everything is endangered to one degree or another. The majestic Lion was once seen in Kuwait but is no longer present. The same goes for many other predatory species once native to the region.
Another endangered species is the unique Fennec Fox, which resembles a furry Chihuahua with huge upright ears. Other endangered animals include the Arabian Oryx, a native antelope, and the more widely known Cheetah.
The Flag of Kuwait
On the 24th of October, 1961, Kuwait adopted its current flag, which has green, white, and red horizontal stripes with a black trapezoid on the hoist side.