Safari Animals

2. African Elephant

An African elephant – one of the iconic African animals

The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest land mammal and heaviest land animal in the world, weighing up to 6 tonnes. You will be stunned by the sheer size and presence of these creatures, not only on the first time you see one, but each and every time. The good news is, they’re fairly easy to spot!

Elephants play a vital role in the survival of other species by digging waterholes in dry riverbeds, spreading seeds through theirs faecal matter, and creating natural fire breaks in the landscape with their trails, and they do all this on only 2 hours sleep in a 24 hour period!

Best places to see African Elephant: Addo Elephant Park, South Africa, Chobe National Park, Botswana, Etosha, Namibia, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

3. Leopard

A beautiful leopard doing what it does best… lounging in a tree

The elusive leopard is one of the shyest and least sociable animals in Africa (though not one of the ‘shy five’), but are still opportunistic hunters and are highly adaptable. Watching a leopard carry its prey up a tree is a fantastic sight and one of the best African safari sightings you could hope for.

Slightly smaller than their lion cousins, leopards (Panthera pardus) are less rare than you might think, but rely on camouflage and being active at night to stay hidden.

Leopards are solitary, independent creatures, and rarely seen together except during mating, or a mother with cubs. As such they are totally self-reliant, and expert hunters – sometimes killing prey up to twice their size. During the daytime they often lounge around in trees and come to the ground after dark to hunt, taking their prey up into a tree to eat at their leisure.

Best places to see Leopard: Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, Samburu National Park Kenya, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

4. Rhinocerous

The most elusive of the big five animals?

Rhinos are something you just need to see in real life to understand how impressive they really are.

Once widespread through sub-Saharan Africa, the rhino has been hunted to the brink of extinction, and is probably the hardest of the big five animals to spot in the wild. There are two species of rhinoceros in Africa – the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum).

Whilst white rhinos have made a comeback through conservation efforts across the continent, black rhinos are still very much one of Africa’s most endangered animals, and hardest safari animals to spot. The fundamental differences between the white and black rhino are not color, but rather size, temperament, food preference, and mouth shape.

Best places to see Rhinoceros: Etosha National Park, Namibia,Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, South Africa, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya, Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania.

5. Cape Buffalo

Cape buffalo – the grumpiest of all safari animals!

Weighing in at not too far short of a ton, the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) has a reputation for being bad-tempered and dangerous. Whilst solitary buffaloes can be unpredictable (and dangerous, hence their inclusion in the big five animals), they are usually a docile beast when in a herd… aside from their tendency to stampede en masse when alarmed.

Not sure about the differences between a bison and buffalo?

Best places to see Cape Buffalo: Chobe National Park, Botswana, Katavi National Park, Tanzania, Kruger National Park, South Africa, Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.

6. Cheetah

Cheetah -the fastest land animal

The cheetah is famous for being the world’s fastest land animals, reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 95 kilometers in just three seconds. These cats need land and space, and seeing one running at full speed is the highlight of any animal safari. But there is more to this cat than just speed; it is beautiful and graceful, and sadly, it’s endangered.

For an animal that hunts during the day, good eyesight, stealth, a spotted coat, and top-notch speed are crucial for survival. The tear marks are among the top distinctive features used to tell the cheetah and the leopard apart.

Best places to see cheetahs: Etosha National Park, Namibia, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Savuti, Botswana, Ruaha, Tanzania.

7. Hyena

A cute hyena strolling…

There are four species in the hyena family, varying in size and shape.

Hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems, both taking advantage of other animals’ kills for easy meals and hunting themselves. The size of a hyena kill or scavenge is generally determined by the size of the hyena’s clan, which can run to dozens. They often hide extra food in watering holes, since nothing is wasted. Hyenas eat every part of an animal, including bones and hooves.

Best place to see hyenas: Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Masai Mara in Kenya, Chobe National Park in Botswana.

8. Giraffe

Giraffe mother with two young

Perhaps the ultimate icon of the African savanna, the giraffe is an unmistakable land mammal known for their long necks and spotted coat (and super-weird giraffe tongue!). They were known by Arab prophets as the ‘queen of the beasts’ because of their delicate features and graceful poise.

With nine subspecies sharing its distinctive characteristics, this African safari animal is the tallest in the world by some way, and amongst the heaviest and largest animals anywhere. The giraffe’s coat is characterized by dark blotches on lighter hair. With age, male giraffes may become darker, and while calves inherit spot patterns from their mothers, each giraffe has a unique coat pattern that sets it apart.

Giraffes have a sharp sense of hearing and smell, another defense against predators, while it can close its nostrils during sandstorms and against ants.

Best places to see giraffe:  Etosha National Park in Namibia, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

9. Zebra

Zebras at a waterhole

Zebra are perhaps the most stylish of African animals, with their characteristically stunning coats of black and white stripes. These distant relatives of the horse are a frequent sight on any African safari and consist of three different species.

There are many theories about why zebras have stripes, and it seems that perhaps the most likely answer is that the stripes function as a way to deter biting insects like tsetse flies and mosquitos.

Plains zebras play a particularly interesting role in the ecosystem, as they are pioneer gazers, nibbling and feeding on the top-most layer of grass, thereby opening up the grassland for more specialized grazers looking for the short grasses tucked below.

Best places to see zebra: Etosha National Park, Namibia, Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana, Masai Mara in Kenya, Okavango Delta in Botswana, Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

10. Hippo

A hippo – one of Africa’s most dangerous animals

Spending most of their days keeping cool in the water or mud, hippos are semi-aquatic safari animals. They resemble large pigs but are in fact related to the whale species, and despite their large, cumbersome appearance can easily outrun a human, and are known as one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.

Best place to see hippos: Hluhluwe National Park & Kruger National Park in South Africa, Kazinga Channel in Uganda, Liwonde National Park in Malawi, Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Okavango Delta, Botswana.

11. African Wild Dog

An African wild dog litter

African wild dogs live in packs of around 6-20 and are highly intelligent and sociable. One of the most fascinating sights when watching African wild dogs is the bond they display before a hunt; the wild dogs begin mingling within the group, vocalising and touching each other, working each other up into a frenzy of excitement. Sadly, these animals are highly endangered

Best places to see wild dogs: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, Tswalu Private Wildlife Reserve and Kruger National Park in South Africa, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique, Kwando, Selinda & Linyanti in Botswana.

12. Crocodile

Nile crocodile on the banks of an African river

Truly prehistoric animals are a wonderful thing to witness, so why would you want to miss out on one of the most prehistoric-looking animals on the planet? Despite this ancient appearance they are biologically complex and have a cerebral cortex a four-chambered heart and a functional diaphragm.

One amazing experience, although tense, is watching as they ambush and catch their prey, their powerful gnashing jaws pulling their victims underwater, yes this may seem tragic, but it definitely is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Best places to see crocodiles: Mara River in Tanzania and Kenya, Kruger National Park in South Africa.

13. Wildebeest

Is the wildebeest one of the world’s ugliest animals?

Wildebeest are primarily grazers, enjoying grass and the occasional shrub and herbs, living in herds of between ten and many thousands. They’re characterized by a long black mane and a beard of hair hanging from the throat and neck, along with their short curved horns, with males weighing up to 250kg.

Best places to see wildebeest: Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Masai Mara in Kenya.

14. Kudu

The majestic male kudu

The kudu is one of the most spectacular African antelopes to be seen on safari. It has been described as one of the most handsome of the antelope family, due to the male’s unique large, corkscrew horns.

The name found its way into the English language courtesy of the Afrikaans of South Africa. The Afrikaans term ‘koedoe’ is a combination of both of zebra and deer.

Best places to see kudu: Across Southern Africa, but particularly likely to spot in Kruger National Park in South Africa, Etosha National Park in Namibia and all the major Zambian parks.