The African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was until recently considered a subspecies of the African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana). However, recent reserach involving DNA has produced the results that there are actually three main species of elephant: the two African … [Read more...]
African Animals
Did you know that Africa is home to some of the most interesting and diverse wildlife in the world?
From lions and elephants to giraffes and zebras, there are plenty of animals to see on a safari in Africa.
But what about the "Big Five?"
The Big Five refers to the five most dangerous animals to hunt on foot in Africa:
While these are some of the most impressive creatures you'll see on an African safari, there is so much more waiting for you beyond the Big Five.
Other top wild animal sightings in Africa include:
There are also many different types of birds, reptiles, and amphibians to see in Africa.
Endangered Animals In Africa
The African continent is home to some of the most iconic and beautiful animals in the world. Unfortunately, many of these animals are now endangered due to a variety of factors including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal wildlife trade. Some of the most endangered animals in Africa include:
- The African elephant is one of the most iconic animals on the continent and is also one of the most endangered. African elephants are threatened by habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and the illegal ivory trade.
- The African lion is another big cat that is facing several threats including habitat loss, trophy hunting, and human-wildlife conflict.
- The black rhinoceros is a critically endangered species with an estimated population of just over 5000 animals. Black rhinos are threatened by habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict.
- The mountain gorilla is one of the most endangered primates in the world with an estimated population of fewer than 1000 animals. Mountain gorillas are threatened by habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict.
Many other animals are endangered in Africa including the cheetah, the African wild dog, and the vulturine guineafowl.
It is important to raise awareness about these animals and the threats they face so that we can work together to protect them.
African Birds
The birds of Africa are amongst the most varied, numerous, and colourful of anywhere in the world. The continent is home to over 2,300 documented bird species, of which 67% are endemic to Africa.
Learn more about the Birds of Africa.
Lemur
Rainforest LemurThe Lemur or Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur Catta) is a large prosimian (representing forms that were ancestral to monkeys, apes and humans), belonging to the family Lemuridae'.Like all other lemurs, it is found only on the island of Madagascar and the Comoros … [Read more...]
Ants
For more than 100 million years, ants have been living on the Earth. They can be found almost anywhere on the planet. As of 2006, there are 11,880 known ant species, most of which reside in hot climates.Ants are members of the family of social insects which means they live in … [Read more...]
Allis Shad
The Allis Shad Fish (Alosa alosa (Linnaeus)) and the Twaite Shad Fish (Alosa fallax (Lacepede)), are both members of the herring family, Clupeidae. This species of fish form a large group of pelagic fishes found in seas throughout the world except the Antarctic. A majority of … [Read more...]
Pigs
The pig was domesticated approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years ago and are found across most of the world including Europe, the Middle East and into Asia as far as Indonesia and Japan. They are one of the oldest forms of livestock, and were domesticated earlier than cows. Nowadays, … [Read more...]
Osprey
The Osprey bird (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It occurs in all continents around the world except for Antarctica, but in South America only as a non-breeding migrant. The Osprey bird is often known by … [Read more...]
Skylark
The Skylark bird (Alauda arvensis), also known as the Eurasian Skylark, is a small passerine bird species that breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, however, eastern populations are more … [Read more...]
Red Fox – Nature’s Original Artful Dodger
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a member of the Canidae family and is a part of the order Carnivora within the class of mammals.Members of the family are called 'canids' and include dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, dingoes, jackals and African Wild Dogs. Within this family, the … [Read more...]
Grey Loerie bird
The Grey Loerie bird (Corythaixoides concolor) is a South African bird which ranges from the tropical west and Central Africa.It is a common resident to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, northern Botswana, western Mozambique and northern South Africa.The Grey Loerie … [Read more...]
White Stork Birds
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large wading bird that belongs to the family: Ciconiidae.There are two sub-species of white stork, the African White Stork which is found in North West and Southern Africa and the European White Stork which is found in Europe.White … [Read more...]