Tell about Wildlife of Africa ?

Did you know there are actually five species of rhinoceros? Three – the Sumatran, Javan, and greater one-horned rhinos – reside in Asia, with the latter two critically endangered. Two – white and black rhinos – live in Africa.

There’s an even greater success story when it comes to the white rhino. Once near extinction, it’s now estimated that there are around 20,000 white rhinos. They mostly reside in southern Africa.

Bird life, too, is extraordinarily rich. More than 1,500 species live south of the Sahara. In addition Africa is inhabited by: the world’s fastest land animal the cheetah, the biggest bird the ostrich and the largest land animal the elephant.

African grasslands (Savannahs) sustain over 20 species of grazing animals from the giant sable antelope to the tiny pygmy antelope. The herds of plains game and their predators, including lions, are pursued by scavengers such as hyenas and vultures. Grassland birds include the guinea fowl and hornbills.

However, the subspecies of the northern white rhino has not fared so well. You may have read recently that the northern white rhino is now extinct in the wild. In March of 2018, the last male northern white rhino died.

Zebras usually live in family groups of 5–20 animals. But in the dry season they may gather in herds of a few hundred for protection against predators such as lions. Male zebras defend themselves by kicking out with their legs and hooves. Zebras eat the tough tops of the grasses.

The giraffe’s great height gives it the advantage of being able to spot danger from a distance and then escape at speed. Males reach up to 5.5m (18ft). It also enables the giraffe to browse on acacia leaves that are out of the reach of most other grassland animals giving it a near monopoly of its principal food supply.

African forest elephants are found in the forests of Gabon, surrounding the Congo Basic. African bush elephants live in Sub-Saharan Africa. While they typically reside in grasslands and plains, you can find them almost anywhere—including deserts, beaches, mountains, and forests.

Africa’s grassland birds is the secretary bird with its long legs and feathered crest it rarely flies preferring to walk, nodding its head with each step. It attacks snakes spreading its wings over its body to shield itself from venomous bites while using its feet to stamp them to death.

African forest elephants have straighter, more downward-pointing tusks, compared to the African bush elephant’s curved tusks. A forest elephant’s trunk is hairier than a bush elephant’s, and their ears are smaller and rounder.

The Aardvark is a solitary nocturnal animal. It uses its powerful claws to break into the nests of ants and termites which it extracts with its long, sticky tongue. The Aardvark can dig at an astonishing speed – faster than a person with a shovel.

Africa’s wetlands are seething with wildlife, such as crocodiles, hippos, floodplain species such as leeches and fish including the Nile perch and tiger fish. The wetlands also provide stopping places for migratory birds flying south to winter in Africa.

Both species of African elephants are listed as vulnerable. The population of African forest elephants, which is around 100,000, is particularly struggling to recover from poaching due to the species’ lower birth rate.

The most common plant in African swamps is papyrus. It grows in clumps, often dense enough to support the weight of large animals.

Hippos spend most of the day submerged in water with only their ears, eyes and nostrils above the surface. They become active at dusk when they emerge from the water to graze on nearby grassland.

Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika contain 265 different species of cichlid (Mouth brooding fish). All but five are unique to Africa. Great depth, isolation and few predators have resulted in this proliferation.

As mentioned in our section on leopards, cheetahs are small, fast, spotted cats. They live in the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. Due to their diminished population, they’re even more elusive to spot during a safari than leopards are.

Giraffes are among the most popular, and most easily spotted African animals. They’re social creatures that move in groups, and are active all day long, making them relatively easy to sight. And what a sight they are! Giraffes can be up to almost twenty feet tall.

Lesser Flamingo Three million flamingos gather at Lake Nakuru in Kenya forming an amazing spectacle. They feed on the plentiful algae that flourish in the salty water, sunlight and high temperatures in and around the lake.

They live in the Savanna and woodlands across the African continent, stretching from South Africa to as far north as Chad. In recent years, poaching and habitat loss have led to giraffes being listed as “Vulnerable” for the first time.

Zebras are easy to spot on safari thanks to their eye-catching black and white striped coats. These equids are related to horses and donkeys, but unlike their relatives have never been domesticated.

The African deserts include the Sahara, the world’s largest desert and the deserts of the Horn of Africa, Kalahari and Namib. Though the deserts seem barren, they are home to many animals such as bustards, sand grouse and the scimitar

The addax lives in the driest and hottest parts of the Sahara conditions few other animals could tolerate. It rarely drinks as it obtains all its liquid from the succulent plants and tubers on which it feeds.

Grévy's and mountain zebras are endangered, while plains zebras are much more plentiful and widespread. Each can be identified by their stripes, among other attributes. Grévy's have thin stripes and are largest, mountain zebras have bold stripes with a horizontal pattern on their legs, and plains zebras are smallest with “shadow stripes” and few stripes on their legs.

Due to their differing habitats, you won’t see gorillas during a traditional safari. There are two species of gorilla, eastern and western. Within those groups, the habitats of each subspecies vary greatly. Gorillas typically live in troops in either lowland tropical rainforests, or mountain forests, in central Africa.