Gacela en el desierto del Sáhara al atardecer

Wildlife Study & Conservation · since 2010

We research to conserve endangered wildlife.

Harmusch works in the Atlantic Sahara and the Iberian Peninsula to recover species and ecosystems on the brink of extinction.

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"Harmusch" is the Hassaniya name for the Cuvier's gazelle.

Years active

Researchers

Scientific publications

Conference presentations

Investigadores de Harmusch preparando equipo sobre los Land Rover al atardecer en el Sáhara

Since

2010

Our mission

Science and fieldwork at the service of biodiversity.

Harmusch is the Hassani name for Cuvier's gazelle. We decided to name Harmusch this way as a small tribute to one of many species on the brink of extinction, but also as a tribute to the beautiful Saharan landscapes.

Since 2010 we have been carrying out a series of faunal survey expeditions in the northern quadrant of Western Sahara, and the information gathered, the ideas generated, and the hope of helping restore what was once a fertile oasis led us to create Harmusch. The reason is simple: it gives us a legal identity with which to sign collaboration agreements, obtain scientific permits, and secure…

More about Harmusch Meet the team

Areas of action

Where we work

From the hyperarid deserts of the Sahara to the highlands of the Himalayas and the Mediterranean forests: Harmusch carries out projects in some of the most demanding ecosystems on the planet.

Physical world map showing Harmusch project locations

Atlantic Sahara (Morocco)

Long-term research on Saharan fauna: carnivores, ungulates, and small mammals

Iberian Peninsula

Conservation of wildcat, Iberian lynx, rufous-tailed scrub robin, otter and birds of prey

Middle Atlas (Morocco)

Survey of caracal and study of carnivore community

Senegal (Niokolo-Koba)

Assessment of large carnivores and ungulates in the National Park

India, Argentina, Colombia

Occasional expeditions and international collaborations

Focus species

Cuvier's gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)

European wildcat (Felis silvestris)

Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)

North African caracal (Caracal caracal algira)

Sand cat (Felis margarita)

Honey badger (Mellivora capensis)

Rufous-tailed scrub robin (Cercotrichas galactotes)

Saharan aoudad (Ammotragus lervia)

Otter (Lutra lutra)

Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)

Projects

Scientific research in progress

All projects

Wildlife inventories, species status assessments and ecological baselines to guide effective conservation policies.

Guepardo del noroeste africano en su hábitat natural

Completed

Morocco Cheetah

Detection of the Saharan cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki in Morocco and inventory of its potential prey and associated fauna

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Leopardo en el Parque Nacional Niokolo Koba, Senegal

Completed

Large Carnivores Senegal

Data on large carnivores and ungulates in Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal)

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Alzacola rojizo (Cercotrichas galactotes)

In progress

Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin

Feasibility study and conservation status of the population core of Cercotrichas galactotes in Jaén and Córdoba (Spain)

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Completed

Otters in Ciudad Real

Technical advice for reducing otter Lutra lutra roadkills at a black spot on road N-401 (Peralvillo, Ciudad Real)

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Gallery

The wildlife we study

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A small sample of the species and landscapes documented during our expeditions.

Field notes

From the field

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Expedition chronicles, findings and reflections from the team.

2026-05-15

The sand cat in the Sahara

The Bedouins call it «the ghost of the desert». Felis margarita is the only exclusively desert feline, and Harmusch has been studying it in the Atlantic Sahara for more than a decade using non-invasive methods. 224 camera traps, 2,490 km of transects and Iberian lynx urine as an attractant: this is how we have obtained the first data on the density, activity and habitat selection of this species in the Sahara.

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2026-04-16

The October 2025 expedition

One year after installing three camera blocks in our study region within the Atlantic Sahara, last October we went to retrieve the camera traps. We have already shared information about our results in the two…

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2025-10-01

April 2025 Expedition

In April 2025, our team returned to the Sahara to continue the wildlife monitoring we began in 2011, with a particular interest in large mammals. This expedition had two objectives: to check the camera traps…

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Collaborators

We work with scientific institutions

Our projects are carried out in close collaboration with leading Spanish and Moroccan research and conservation bodies.

Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC)

Spain

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Spain

Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC)

Spain

Universidad de Granada

Spain

Sociedad de Historia Natural de Castilla-La Mancha

Spain

CRFS El Chaparrillo

Spain

EcoSistema Consultores

Spain

Grupo Naturalista Fash Al Ballut

Spain

Fundación Zoo de Barcelona

Spain

Institut Scientifique de Rabat, Université Mohammed V

Morocco

Agence Nationale des Eaux et Forêts (ANEF)

Morocco

Parc National d'Ifrane

Morocco

Université Ibn Tofail

Morocco

Fundación Living Planet Morocco

Morocco

Asociación Tabiaa Bilahodoud (Assa)

Morocco

GOMAC

Morocco

GREPOM

Morocco

CIBIO/InBIO, Universidad de Porto

Portugal

Universidad de Oxford (WildCRU)

United Kingdom

Universidad Nacional del Comahue

Argentina

UICN-Mediterráneo

International

Fundación Panthera

International

Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF)

International

Fundación MAVA (Safe Flyways)

International

Parque Nacional de Niokolo Koba

Senegal

Join the project

Every expedition, every camera trap, every scientific paper counts.

If you want to collaborate, propose a research project, or financially support our work, get in touch. Your help allows us to continue documenting endangered species in remote regions.