Many Afrotropical species have their northern limits at Gabal Elba,[2] and the dense cover of acacias and other scrubs represents the only natural woodland in Egypt.

The bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus), Namaqua dove (Oena capensis), Nubian nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus), shining sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus), Arabian warbler (Curruca leucomelaena), rosy-patched bushshrike (Rhodophoneus cruentus), African silverbill (Euodice cantans), and Sudan golden sparrow (Passer luteus) are Afrotropical species who reach the northern extent of their range on Gabal Elba.

[4] The Gabal Elba National Park (22°54′N 35°20′E / 22.90°N 35.34°E / 22.90; 35.34),[6] declared by Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif in 1986,[7] covers some 3,560,000 ha (8,800,000 acres),[1] including most of the disputed Halaib Triangle (except its westernmost corner), and an area of comparable size just north of it.

On December 16, 2014 an adult male leopard was killed by a group of shepherds after it attacked their camel in Wadi Shalal, in the region of Halaib in the extreme southeast of Egypt.

Researchers explored the potential influence of increased rainfall and grazing activities in facilitating a dispersal corridor for hyenas from neighboring Sudan.