The Shy Five Animals

The shy five animals of Africa are Aardvark, Aardwolf, Bat-eared Fox, Meerkat, and Porcupine.

If you’ve been on safari you’ll probably be aware of  ‘the big five’ of buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhino. You may also be aware of the little five, or small five animals. However, did you know that there’s also a wildlife group of safari animals known as ‘the shy five animals’?

This group of shy animals is so named as sightings of them by many people are few and far between. Four of the shy five are nocturnal (all except the meerkat) which makes seeing them that much harder to spot, yet more rewarding if you do actually manage to catch a glimpse of them.

The shy five animals are found in sub-Saharan Africa, generally in sandy desert areas such as the Kalahari and the Namib Naukluft… but bear in mind they’re called the shy five for a reason! A couple of places renowned for sightings of these species include Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and Samara Game Reserve.

That’s your lot for the shy five animals. Have you seen these on safari, or have any questions about them? Please get involved in the comments if so!

Other shy animals

Into shy animals? Africa’s ‘shy five’ are not the only shy animals around. Here are a bunch more animals that are particularly reserved, and difficult to spot in the wild:

Other shy animals

Have you seen the shy five animals and are are looking for a new wildlife challenge?  For safari aficionados up for ticking all the ‘I’ve seen’ boxes, have you heard about the other groups of 5 animals?

What exactly is a ‘shy animal’?

shy is just being nervous and or timid around people. So technically any animal that becomes nervous and or timid (social anxiety) around people is simply shy. It is a simple concept that looks like introversion sometimes, but they part from each other. So what does a shy animal look like? Well they could look like this

most “prey animals” meaning those that are eaten by other animals and are generally herbivores themselves are technically “shy” due to their survival instincts manifesting in avoidance behaviors. When your survival depends on avoiding being eaten, you naturally become hyper-vigilant and skittish. This applies to many small animals like rodents and rabbits for example to large herbivores like deer and even horses. The survival strategies of prey often include hiding, running, camouflage, having many offspring to offset losses, excellent peripheral vision, and being fearful of potential danger such as sound or movement. Honestly, if you just want a simple answer: deer and bunnies first come to mind. Though most animals of all types are shy around humans.