Genetic and morphological differentiation between the European and North African populations of Egyptian Mongoose supports the taxonomic distinction of European populations as the subspecies H. i. widdringtonii (Gray 1842, Graells 1897, Miller 1912, Cabrera 1914, Gaubert et al. 2011). Cabrera (1914) concluded to the synonymy of the three taxa described from Portugal (de Seabra 1909) with widdringtonii.

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

The genetic data at hand supports the natural dispersal of the species through the Strait of Gibraltar into Europe during Late Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations (c. 335,000 ya), long before the earliest Palaeolithic crossing by humans (Gaubert et al. 2011). Although the presence of the Egyptian Mongoose in Europe is most likely natural, it is still considered by range states as a naturalised species that was introduced before 1500. The species appears common in most of its European range (except at range borders) and seems to have been expanding northward and eastward during the last decades (Barros et al. 2015, Talegón et al. 2022) and for this reason is listed Least Concern for both Europe and for the EU27 Member States. Anthropogenic mortality including hunting (Portugal), road kills and deliberate killing occur throughout its range. No information is available on long-term population size trends for the species except in the Doñana National Park were the species is stable (Sereno et al. 2023).

In Europe, the Egyptian Mongoose is traditionally found in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula, covering Andalusia and Extremadura regions in Spain, and southern Portugal. Historical records (<1910) from northwestern and central Spain, and northern Portugal, may be the signature of retraction from a larger range during the first decades of the 20th century (Delibes 1982), suggesting that the distribution of the species could have been subject to a series of expansions and regressions in the recent past (Borralho et al. 1996). However, since the late 1980s, the Egyptian Mongoose seems to have expanded northward in Portugal (Barros and Fonseca 2011, Barros et al. 2015), but also northward and eastward in Spain (Descalzo et al. 2021, Talegón et al. 2022). In Spain, there are records in areas far from its distribution area (Descalzo et al. 2021) In the Iberian Peninsula, it has been reported up to 1,600 m asl (Palacios et al. 1992).

The Egyptian Mongoose is also widely distributed in Africa, with the exception of desert areas, high rainfall forests and the southern African steppe. It also occurs in the coastal Near East (from Türkiye to Israel and Mt Sinai). In North Africa, the species is present in the Maghreb and northern Egypt (Do Linh San et al. 2016).

In Europe, the species is considered common in suitable habitats, except at range boundaries. In southern Spain, densities ranged between 1.2 (adults) and 2.0 (adults and juveniles) individuals per km² (Palomares 1993), with a maximum estimate of 4.9 individuals per km² (Palomares 2020). In Portugal, density was 2.6 and 2.2 individuals per km², respectively south and north of the Tagus River (unpublished data from Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas). Likely to be expanding northward and eastward of its traditional European range from healthy source populations (Barros et al. 2015). The number of mature individuals is estimated to be above 10,000 in Portugal (Bandeira et al. 2018). Nothing is known about population size trends through time across the species’ range.

The Egyptian Mongoose is diurnal and mostly solitary and depends on dense vegetation cover. It is especially found in scrublands, where it prefers humid and riparian landscapes (Palomares and Delibes 1993, Bandeira 2016). In northern Portugal, it is also observed in anthropized areas, exploring marshes, rice fields and orchards (Bandeira et al. 2018). Habitat use is mostly shaped by vegetation structure and prey availability (Palomares and Delibes 1990). The Egyptian Mongoose is an opportunistic and generalist predator, preying on the most abundant, available and vulnerable prey. In Spain, the species shows a wide trophic spectrum, with rabbits (occurring at a frequency of ca 77%) and reptiles as the main items (Delibes et al. 1984).

In Spain, the Egyptian Mongoose was killed to make brushes from the stiff hairs of its tail (Machado 1869). Currently, in Europe, the species is locally subjected to incidental and deliberate poisoning because it is considered a pest by hunters and shepherds (Bandeira et al. 2018, Palomares 2020). In Portugal, hunting is legal and can be conducted from October to February, notably under the motive of regulation actions. Hunters may also obtain exceptional derogations to trap and kill Egyptian Mongooses between March and May (Do Linh San et al. 2016). Road casualties are a relatively common cause of mortality, as the species’ daytime activity coincides with the highest traffic levels (Palomares 2020). An average of six fatal collisions/ 100 km/year was estimated in southern Portugal (Grilo et al. 2009).

There is currently no use or trade of this species.

The Egyptian Mongoose is globally evaluated as “Least Concern” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Do Linh San et al. 2016). The species is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention and on Annex V of the EU Habitats and Species Directive under a “Favourable” conservation status. In Spain, its status falls under the general protection provided by the law on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity but does not benefit from any specific conservation plan. There is pressure from hunters and shepherds to remove the protection for the alleged damage caused to livestock and game species. In Portugal, the species is included on Annex B – V relative to the species of community interest whose capture in the wild may be authorized and is listed as a game species on Annex B – V.D. The Egyptian Mongoose is considered “Least Concern” in the Portuguese and Spanish Red List of Threatened Species and is not subject of any conservation plan.

In Europe, this species is present in several protected areas across its range. Its great reliance on connectivity between shrub areas should encourage the preservation of the Mediterranean shrub cover landscape (Barros et al. 2017), notably in intensively exploited lands and through an increase in the number of protected areas within the species’ range. In Portugal, a large number of individuals are culled during the hunting season. Given the likely native status of the species in Europe and the potential ecosystem services linked to its feeding strategy (i.e. as a predator of rodents, insects and reptiles), adhering to a non-pest status for the species in Portugal would seem justified.