Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
The North African Sloughi hound is older than you might think. Sometimes called Arabian Greyhounds, this dog breed comes from the north of the African continent. They are found in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
Age-old desert dogs
These dogs accompanied nomadic societies in North Africa for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. They would help people who travelled the desert to hunt.
Dogs are considered unclean in most Muslim communities. But the Sloughi was allowed in homes and sometimes even ate beside their owners.
The dogs have also been featured in art and stories from as far back as the Roman era.
Disappearing dogs
Dog lovers are worried that this breed is at risk of disappearing.
One reason is uncontrolled crossbreeding. This is when people mix local Sloughi dogs with other types of dogs, often from other countries.
According to Olfa Abid, a vet, they do this to make the Sloughi faster. A faster dog has a better chance of winning racing competitions.
A unique breed
The Tunisian Canine Centre is a kennel club in Tunisia. It wants to raise awareness about the possible disappearance of North African Sloughi dogs.
The centre wants Tunisian Sloughi hounds to be recognised as a unique breed by the International Canine Federation.
The Tunisian Canine Centre believes there are fewer than 200 purebred Sloughi hounds left in Tunisia.
