The lion (Panthera leo ) is a large cat of the genus Panthera native to Africa and India. It is the most widely recognized animal symbol in human culture and it has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in...
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph) with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h (58...
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the cat family, Felidae. The leopard is distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behavior, broad diet, strength, and its...
The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the Pygmy hippopotamus. Its name comes from the ancient Greek...
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus Lycaon; it is distinguished from Canis by dentition highly specialized for a hypercarnivorous diet, and by a lack of dewclaws....
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is one of two living African elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal and is distributed across 37 African countries. Since 2021, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red...
Rhinos are very ancient animals. In fact, these mammals do resemble some prehistoric species. They appeared millions of years ago, during the Miocene era. One of the most conspicuous characteristics of these animals is the two horns of their head....
The Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is the smallest wild cat in Africa. The first black-footed cat known to science was discovered in the northern Karoo of South Africa and described in 1824. This rare and secretive cat usually rests in burrows...
The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey found only in Africa. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. Although a member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other...
The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been fragmented in the course of habitat...
The Southern lion is a lion subspecies from Southern and East Africa. In this region, lion populations were referred to by several regional names, including Katanga lion, Transvaal lion, Kalahari lion, Southeast African lion, Southwest African lion,...
The Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the world’s tallest living animal native to North Africa. The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures for its peculiar appearance and has often been featured in paintings, books, and...
The elegant Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is one of Africa’s most majestic and beautiful birds. It is the national symbol and the national bird of Uganda. The name is due to its yellow crown of feathers, tipped with black. This crane...
The Martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the most persecuted bird species in the world. Due to its habit of taking livestock and regionally valuable game, local farmers and game wardens...
The Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) is a large and impressive raptor. Its well-feathered legs illustrate it to be a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as the "booted eagles". The Steppe eagle is in many ways a peculiar species of eagle....
The White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) is an Old World vulture native to Africa. This species is unique among African vultures as it shows a degree of reversed sexual dimorphism, where females are somewhat larger than males.
The Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is an unusual animal that belongs to a group of pangolins which are among the most critically endangered and illegally trafficked animals in the world. They are armor-plated, distinguished from other mammals...
The White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) is the most common large vulture in Africa and is an accomplished scavenger that eats the carcasses of large animals. Hundreds of these vultures gather to feed on large dead animals. They gorge themselves so...
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (Torgos tracheliotos ) is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Torgos. It is not...
The southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri ; formerly known as Bucorvus cafer ), is one of two species of ground hornbill, which are both found solely within Africa, and is the largest species of hornbill worldwide. It can be found in the...
The blue crane (Grus paradisea ), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax ) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its heavily feathered legs illustrate it to be a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as "booted eagles". Tawny eagles have an...
The hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus ) is an Old World vulture in the order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Necrosyrtes, which is sister to the larger Gyps genus, both...
The Cape vulture or Cape griffon (Gyps coprotheres ), also known as "Kolbe's vulture", is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to southern Africa, and lives mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, and in some parts of...
The South-central black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) is a subspecies of the Black rhinoceros. Although it is the most numerous of the Black rhino subspecies, it is nevertheless designated as critically endangered on the IUCN’s red list.
The mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula ) is an antelope found in mountainous areas of much of sub-Saharan Africa.
The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, the doves and pigeons. It breeds over a wide area of the south western Palearctic including north Africa but migrates to northern sub-Saharan Africa to winter.
The wattled crane (Grus carunculata ) is a large bird found in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Bugeranus.
The slaty egret (Egretta vinaceigula ) is a small, dark egret. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. It is classified as Vulnerable, the biggest threat being...
The Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha ) is a small falcon found in central and eastern Africa. It was first described from the Taita Hills of Kenya from which it derives its name.
The Maccoa duck (Oxyura maccoa ) is a stiff-tailed diving duck found across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Ludwig's bustard (Neotis ludwigii ) is a species of bird in the bustard family, and named after Baron von Ludwig. It is a medium-to-large sized species.
The Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is an oreochromine cichlid fish native to southeastern Africa. Dull colored, the Mozambique tilapia often lives up to a decade in its native habitats. It is a popular fish for aquaculture. Due to...
Oreochromis andersonii, the three-spotted tilapia, threespot tilapia, or threespot bream, is a species of cichlid native to Africa, where it is found in rivers and swamps in the southern half of the continent. This species reaches a length of 61 cm...
Oreochromis macrochir (longfin tilapia, greenhead tilapia, or greenhead bream) is a species of cichlid native to the Zambezi Basin, Lake Mweru, and Lake Bangweulu. It has been used extensively for stocking ponds and dams in other parts of southern...
