Animals in Africa have a different ring to it.
When we think about this phrase, we imagine animals roaming around in the wild, animals herded around a large pond of water, or a cheetah in the midst of chasing down a deer. As a person who spent their childhood in Africa, I can safely say that although you might see vervet monkeys in your back garden, wild animals such as lions will only be found in a national park.
One of the best places to experience animals in Africa is South Africa. For example, tourists come to Kruger National Park, the largest national park in South Africa, to get a glimpse of the Big Five.
For this blog post, we are going to list the Big five, talk about other notable animals in Africa, and finish off by discussing the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Table of content
🦒 Seven African habitats
🦓 Big five game
🦏 Other notable mammals
🦒 Teaching Resources
🦓 Extinct, endangered and vulnerable species
🐆 Conclusion
Seven African habitats
Animals in Africa live in seven different types of habitat.
Grasslands: Grasslands are characterized by grass without trees in the surrounding areas. Grasslands do not have a specific climate in which they flourish. An example would be Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Savannah: Savannah are characterized by grassland and trees that are scattered across the plains. For example, the Serengeti in Tanzania is an example of savannah woodlands.
Woodlands: Woodlands have more trees but are less deciduous than forests. There is usually an open canopy. An example of this would be a Miombo woodland.
Tropical Forest: These forests are characterized by high levels of biodiversity and abundant rainfall. An example of this forest would be the Congo Basin Rainforest.
Semi-desert: A semi-desert (also known as a semi-arid desert) would be located between a desert and a grassland region. An example of this would be the Kalahari Desert.
Wetlands: Wetlands are diverse ecosystems where water shapes the environment. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a prime example of a wetland in Africa.
Mountains: Mountains are characterized by steep slopes and towering peaks. The Rwenzori Mountains, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are an example of mountains in Africa.
Big five game
The term "The Big Five" was originally coined by big-game hunters in Africa to refer to the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot. Over time, the term has evolved to have a more general and friendly connotation, primarily used in wildlife tourism to refer to five iconic large mammal species. "The Big Five" typically includes the lion, leopard, rhinoceros (both black and white), elephant, and African buffalo.
Let's look at each of them separately:
Lion
Number of animals left in the wild: 23,000
Conservation status on the IUCN: Vulnerable
Scientific name: Panthera Leo
Physical characteristics: They have a big, muscular build with golden fur, and for the male, a majestic mane.
Habitat: Lions are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. They prefer habitats that offer a balance of grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands.
Collective noun: a pride of lions.
Example: A pride of lions relaxed beneath the Africa sun, sunbathing under its warmth.
Idiomatic phrase: The lion's share
Example: The CEO took the lion's share of the credit for the company's success, despite the hard work of the entire team.
Interesting fact: An interesting fact about lions is their distinctive roar, which can be heard up to 5 miles away (8 kilometers).
Leopard
Number of animals left in the wild: Unreliable results on the internet
Conservation status on the IUCN: Vulnerable
Scientific name: Panthera pardus
Physical characteristics: Leopards have a beautiful coat spotted with black spots all overtheirbody,providing a layer of camouflage when hunting prey.
Habitat: Leopards inhabit forests, savannas, mountains, and semi-arid regions across Africa and Asia.
Collective noun: A leap of leopards.
*Leopards are solitary animals, so you will not usually find them in leaps.
Example: While hiking through the dense forest, we were startled by the sight of a majestic leap of leopards crossing our path.
Idiomatic phrase: A leopard can't change its spots.
Example: Even after promising to reform, his history of dishonesty proved that a leopard can't change its spots.
Interesting fact: Leopards are incredibly strong and agile climbers.
Rhinoceros (also known as rhino)
Number of white rhinos left in the wild: 10,080
Conservation status on the IUCN: Near-threatened
Number of black rhinos left in the wild: 3142
Conservation status on IUCN: Critically Endangered
Scientific Name:
- White rhinos: Ceratotherium simum
- Black rhinos: Diceros bicornis
Physical characteristics: Rhinos have a grey, thick coat and one or more horns on their snouts.
Habitat: Rhinos inhabit grasslands, savannas, and dense forests in Africa and Asia. They rely on access to water and suitable vegetation for grazing.
Collective noun: a herd of rhinoceros.
*A white rhino is more social than a black rhino, so you might see a group of white rhinos, but it would be difficult to observe a "group" of black rhinos roaming in the wild as black rhinos are more sedentary.
Example: While on a safari, we saw a herd of rhinoceros grazing peacefully in the Savannah.
Idiomatic phrase: Like a rhinoceros in a china shop.
Example: Whenever Tom tries to delicately handle delicate situations, he ends up crashing through them like a rhinoceros in a China shop.
Interesting fact: Rhinos have thick, armor-like skin and iconic horns made of keratin.
African bush elephant and African forest elephant
Number of African bush and African forest elephant left in the wild: 415,000
African bush elephant's conservation status on the IUCN: Endangered
African forest elephant's conservation status on the IUCN: Critically endangered
Physical characteristics: Elephants are known for their trunk and two tusks.
Habitat: African elephants inhabit a variety of habitats across the African continent, including savannas, grasslands, forests, and semi-arid regions.
Collective noun: A herd of elephants.
Example: A herd of elephants protected their young from the lions.
Idiomatic phrase: Memory like an elephant.
Example: Despite not having seen each other for years, Sarah remembered every detail of their childhood adventures; she truly had a memory like an elephant.
Interesting fact: Elephants are the largest mammals on earth.
African buffalo
Number of animals left in the wild: 398000-401000
Conservation status on IUCN: Near-threatened
Scientific name: Syncerus caffer.
Physical characteristics: Buffaloes have a cow-like appearance with two horns that curve upwards from the top of their head.
Habitat: African buffaloes, also known as Cape buffaloes, are found in a range of habitats across sub-Saharan Africa, including savannas, grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands.
Collective noun: a herd of buffaloes.
Example: A herd of buffaloes was attacked by a male lion last night, but not one of them was hurt.
Idiomatic phrase: Buffalo soldier
Example: The buffalo soldier rode proudly on his horse, a symbol of resilience and bravery in the face of adversity on the American frontier.
Interesting fact: African buffaloes are highly social and form large herds led by dominant males, known as "dagga boys."
Other notable mammals
Cheetah
Number of animals left in the wild: 6,517
Conservation status on the IUCN: Vulnerable
Interesting fact: Did you know that cheetahs are the fastest animals on earth? They can sprint up to 70 miles per hour but only in short bursts.
Giraffe
Number of animals left in the wild: 68,293
Conservation status on the IUCN: Vulnerable
Interesting fact: Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animals. They have very long necks to help them reach the leaves on the uppermost branches of the tree.
Zebra
Number of animals left in the wild: 150,000-250,000
Conservation status on the IUCN: Least concern
Interesting fact: Zebras are a native species to Africa. Zebras are known for their striped skin, which helps them camouflage among the tall grasses of the Savannah.
Hippopotamus (also known as hippo)
Number of animals left in the wild: 115 000- 130 000
Conservation status on the IUCN: Vulnerable
Interesting fact: Hippos have a big mouth with a large number of teeth.
African wild dog
Number of animals left in the wild: 1409
Conservation status on IUCN: Endangered
Interesting fact: The African wild dog is renowned for its striking coat pattern, which consists of patches of black, yellow, and white fur. It also has large rounded ears.
Teaching Resources
Animals in Africa flashcard
Fill in the Blank Worksheet
African Wildlife ESL Worksheet
Introduction: This worksheet is designed to help ESL learners practice vocabulary related to African wildlife. Below are a series of activities to engage students in learning about various animals found in Africa.
Activity 1: Fill in the Blanks
Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct animal names from the word bank.
Word Bank: Lion, Elephant, Giraffe, Rhinoceros, Zebra, Cheetah, Hippopotamus, African buffalo, Leopard, African Wild Dog
1. The ________________ is known for its distinctive black and white stripes.
2. ________________ are the tallest land animals in the world.
3. The ________________ is one of the "Big Five" game animals in Africa.
4. ________________ are large, herbivorous mammals with thick, gray skin.
5. ________________ are known for their speed and distinctive spotted coats.
6. ________________ are large, semi-aquatic mammals found in rivers and lakes.
7. The ________________ is a large, carnivorous cat found in sub-Saharan Africa.
8. ________________ are social animals that live in herds on the African savanna.
9. ________________ are powerful predators with retractable claws.
10. The ________________ is a large, muscular mammal with distinctive markings.
Answer key:
- The zebra is known for its distinctive black and white stripes.
- Giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world.
- The rhinoceros is one of the "Big Five" game animals in Africa.
- Elephants are large, herbivorous mammals with thick, gray skin.
- Cheetahs are known for their speed and distinctive spotted coats.
- Hippopotamuses are large, semi-aquatic mammals found in rivers and lakes.
- The lion is a large, carnivorous cat found in sub-Saharan Africa.
- African buffaloes are social animals that live in herds on the African savanna.
- Leopards are powerful predators with retractable claws.
- The African wild dog is a large, muscular mammal with distinctive markings.
Activity 2: Writing
Instructions: Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) about your favorite African animal. Describe its appearance, habitat, and any interesting facts about it.
Conclusion: Review the answers as a class and discuss any questions or misconceptions. Encourage students to continue exploring and learning about African wildlife on their own.
Extinct, endangered and vulnerable species
"Whatever happens to this single animal, let him always remind us that the fate of all living things on Earth is in human hands." - Lonesome George's enclosure
Lonesome George was the last of his kind, a Pinta Giant Tortoise, living in a conservation area.
Animal species are rapidly becoming extinct in the next few centuries due to habitat loss and poaching. In a 2022 report by Living Planet, global wildlife populations have decreased significantly by 69% since the 1970s. Now, more than 44,000 species could face extinction in the future.
Due to this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has made a distinction between five important statuses on the Red List; we will not discuss the statuses of lower relevance to this post. The definitions are below:
Extinct: No sightings or incidents of live animal species have been observed.
Examples: Dodo, Western black rhino, Mammoth, and Dinosaurs
Extinct in the wild: These species have not been sighted in the wild andonly survive in captivity.
Examples: California condor, Scimitar-horned oryx
Critically Endangered: The species face an extreme risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
Examples: Amur leopard, Javan rhino, Hawksbill sea turtle, Black rhino
Endangered: The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Examples: North Atlantic right whale, Asian elephant, Mountain gorilla, Green sea turtle
Vulnerable: The species face a risk of extinction in the wild.
Examples: African penguin, Giant panda, Snow leopard, Galápagos penguin
Examples of an extinct species: Western black rhinos
Rhinos have continually been hunted in the wild due to the purported medicinal qualities of their tusks. However, this claim has no scientific basis. As a result, the western black rhino has become extinct. Black rhinos once inhabited Cameroon, but none have been sighted since 2006.
Another example of an extinct species is the infamous Dodo. The Dodo was a species found on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, but it became extinct in the 17th century due to overhunting by humans. Initially, the Dodo lived on the island carefree due to the abundance of food and the scarcity of predators. However, with the arrival of sailors in the 16th century, the population of Dodo died out.
Conclusions
The tale of Lonesome George shows us the sad ending that could apply to any animals existing today if humans do not pay more attention to the footprints we leave behind.
Let's do our best to conserve the species we have today so that we don't have more Dodo-esque stories to tell our children, where humans were the villains who caused the animals to become extinct. Instead, let's tell stories of saving endangered animals from extinction to pave a brighter future for our children.
Kruger National Park - South African Safari Tours Animal life White Rhino vs Black Rhino: Understanding the Key Differences African buffalo IUCN Red List of Threatened Species A ‘De-extinction’ Company Wants to Bring Back the Dodo
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