12 Wild Animals in Albania [Wildlife in Albania]

Learn All About Albanian Animals

Ready to learn all about Albanian animals?

I’ve always been fascinated by animals, and by how they can be so different from one country to another. In this guide, we’ll focus on the many animals Albania has on the land, in the sky, and underwater.

I’ve split the guide into 7 categories:

• Native animals from Albania
• Endangered animals of Albania
• What is the national animal of Albania?
• How many animals native to Albania?
• What is the most common animal in Albania?
• Does Albania have lions?
• Are there bears in Albania?

Let’s dive in right away with our first category!

Native Animals from Albania

Albania is a small country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece, and its capital city is Tirana, which counts more than 557,000 inhabitants.

An interesting part of the country that I wanted to tackle is its wildlife. In light of that, I have listed the best of Albania wildlife and I hope you will love learning what animals live in Albania.

Here’s the Albania animals list.

1. Golden eagle

• Name: Golden eagle
• Scientific name: Aquila chrysaetos
• Conservation status: Least concern

The golden eagle is definitely the most important and the most notorious animal in Albania. It is the national emblem and has always been a strong symbol in the country.

It is a bird of prey that can exclusively be found in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is very famous. Golden eagle territories are very large, as they can reach up to 200 km² / 77 sq mi! They usually use their speed and their extremely strong feet to catch rabbits, marmots, and other rodents.

2. Eurasian lynx

• Name: Eurasian lynx
• Scientific name: Lynx lynx
• Conservation status: Least concern

The Eurasian lynx can be found in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Siberia, as well as in the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It is a wild cat that particularly appreciates cold and elevated forests (up to 5,000 m / 18,000 ft!).

In Albania, you will very rarely see a Eurasian lynx, as this animal is quite elusive, but it remains hidden in the heights. It used to be widespread across all of Europe but is now very scattered in the continent.

3. Roe deer

• Name: Roe deer
• Scientific name: Capreolus capreolus
• Conservation status: Least concern

The roe deer is a very common species of deer. It is spread throughout all of Europe: from the Mediterranean Sea to Scandinavia, and from Scotland to the Caucasus. While it does not live in polar climates, it is still well-prepared to face cold weather.

Compared to others, the roe deer is quite small and lighter. The ones that can be found in northern Kazakhstan are much larger and heavier. Roe deers usually eat grass, leaves, and berries, and you will rarely see any in a field with livestock.

4. Dalmatian pelican

• Name: Dalmatian pelican
• Scientific name: Pelecanus crispus
• Conservation status: Near threatened

The Dalmatian pelican is very impressive: it is the largest member of the pelican family, and it is probably the largest freshwater bird in the world. Its wingspan is as large as that of the great albatrosses.

These pelicans can be found anywhere from Southeastern Europe… to the eastern coast of China! You will find some of them in Albania, and you will definitely hear them if it is the mating season, during which their vocalizations become even more pronounced.

5. Chamois

• Name: Chamois
• Scientific name: Rupicapra rupicapra
• Conservation status: Least concern

The chamois is a mix between a goat and an antelope, and it is native to European mountains. It can be found in Albania in the highlands, in herds of up to 15 to 30 animals. Despite this, males usually prefer to live solitarily for the major part of the year.

It lives in rocky and precipitous mountains, up to 3,600 m / 11,800 ft. During summer, it usually descends in alpine meadows above the tree line.

6. Eurasian brown bear

• Name: Eurasian brown bear
• Scientific name: Ursus arctos arctos
• Conservation status: Least concern

The Eurasian brown bear is one of the most common species of brown bear that can be found in both Europe and Asia. Its fur is made of brown variations, from yellowish-brown to almost black, and some albinos also exist.

The story of brown bears is very long. They were present in Britain millennia ago, before being brought to Ancient Rome for fighting in arenas. They are now present in most of Europe, including Albania’s forests.

7. Eurasian wolf

• Name: Eurasian wolf
• Scientific name: Canis lupus lupus
• Conservation status: Least concern

Ah, wolves. They are some of the most iconic interactions between man and wildlife, especially in Europe. The Eurasian wolf is native to Europe and can be found all across Asia as well.

It used to be more widespread during the Middle Ages, but got persecuted throughout the centuries. It was almost sacred in several cultures, including Greek, Celtic, Baltic, and Roman.

Many of these wolves are sadly forced to vastly rely on livestock and garbage.

8. Illyrian shepherd dog

• Name: Illyrian shepherd dog
• Scientific name: Canis lupus familiaris
• Conservation status: Least concern

Albanians have their very own shepherd dog: the Illyrian dog. It is a breed of the livestock guardian type, and its name comes from the Sharr mountains.

Its ancestor is the famous Molossian dog, and this breed is typical of Albania. You can find it mostly in the northeastern parts of the country, in remote and high altitude areas.

Illyrian shepherd dogs are extremely large and strong, and they have a long and dense coat to protect them from the cold.

9. Sperm whale

• Name: Sperm whale / Cachalot
• Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus
• Conservation status: Vulnerable

The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on the planet. Males average 16 m / 52 ft in length, but the biggest of them can reach more than 20 m / 68 ft!

Their head is huge (and their brain is the largest one in the world, weighing 5 times a human’s one!), as it represents up to one-third of their length. They are also the third deepest diving mammals, plunging to 2,250 m / 7,382 ft.

Because of this, they are very hard to spot, but they can sometimes be seen off the coast of Albania.

10. Eurasian otter

• Name: Eurasian otter
• Scientific name: Lutra lutra
• Conservation status: Near threatened

The Eurasian otter can be found in tons of countries: anywhere from western Europe to the eastern coast of Russia. It is the most common member of the otter family, and it is brown above and cream below. Their body is long and ideal for their aquatic habitat.

Eurasian otters are found in freshwaters in Albania, like lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds. While they are cute, they mostly eat fish, can run very quickly, and strike very hard!

11. Green sea turtle

• Name: Green sea turtle
• Scientific name: Chelonia mydas
• Conservation status: Endangered

Here is one endangered but beautiful animal, the green sea turtle. It has two separate populations, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific regions, and it usually lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the planet. Nevertheless, it ventures in the Mediterranean Sea and can be found in Albania.

As a matter of fact, because of their long migrations, they will choose several little islands and nest on their beaches. This is why there are so many islands known as “Turtle Island” around the world!

12. Albanian water frog

• Name: Albanian water frog
• Scientific name: Pelophylax shqipericus
• Conservation status: Vulnerable

The last member of this list is the smallest one. The Albanian water frog is native to both Albania and Montenegro. It lives in aquatic environments and its population is currently in decline. The biggest threats to Albanian water frogs are pollution and drainage of wetlands as well as a collection for commercial purposes.

These frogs are medium-sized, and they are primarily found in the western part of the country, as well as in southern Montenegro. Its presence in Lake Skadar is notorious because it is seriously threatened by over-collection.

So there you have them, these were my 12 wild animals in Albania. I hope you enjoyed this list and that you learned something new today.

In case you want to learn more about animals in the country, feel free to keep reading, as I still have lots of things to tell you about:

Endangered Animals of Albania

This is definitely the saddest part of the list, but it is very important to raise awareness. Because of this, let’s go through the list of endangered animals in Albania, from extinct in the wild to endangered.

Here are the animals in danger of extinction in Albania.

Extinct in the wild

• Skadar nase

Critically endangered

• Angelshark
• Adriatic sturgeon
• Great hammerhead
• Scalloped hammerhead
• Slender-billed curlew
• and 12 more…

Endangered

• Basking shark
• Spinetail Devil ray
• Mediterranean monk seal
• Steppe eagle
• Egyptian vulture
• and 16 more…

To see the full list of endangered species in Albania, head over to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

What is the National Animal of Albania?

The national animal of Albania is the eagle.

The eagle symbolizes everything in Albania: it is an ethnic symbol, and also an animal totem that is very often associated with freedom and heroism in folklore.

Ever since the country was founded, the eagle has always been their emblem, and it was a very common heraldic symbol for Albanian dynasties during the Middle Ages.

How Many Animals Native to Albania?

What is the diversity of native animals in Albania?

Let’s look at the total number of species of Chordata (mammals, birds, fishes, and reptiles).

Total number of animal species in Albania: 883 (3,142 in total in Europe)

What is the most common animal in Albania?

There are many common animals in Albania, but the most common of them is definitely the goat. It can be found everywhere in the country, and it has been around for centuries. Local goats herdsmen are known as “Shqiptaret”.

In fact, goat breeding is a long-lasting tradition in Albania, and several breeds can be found in the country.

Does Albania have lions?

There are lions in Albanian zoos, and in fact 3 of them were recently transferred to the Netherlands, because of the very poor living conditions they had in Albania.

Other than that, there are overall no lions in Europe, so definitely no wild lions in Albania. This does not mean that nothing is dangerous in the country: in fact, the biggest danger is very small, it is the venomous spiders!

Are there bears in Albania?

Yes, there are bears in Albania!

The Eurasian brown bear, #6 on this list, can be found in the country’s most isolated mountains and forests. The first brown bears are expected to come from China, more than 500,000 years ago. Now, they can be found in many countries, including Albania.

More About Animals in the World!

Loved these Albania animal facts? Want to see what animals live in other countries?

Then check out these posts:

• Wild Animals in Azerbaijan
• Wild Animals in Bosnia
• Wild Animals in Bulgaria

Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.

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