10 stunning animal species to spot on African safari

10 stunning animal species to spot on African safari : Africa has been home to a vast array of wild animals for thousands of years. Its typical tropical vegetation and pleasant, warm climate have aided in this. However, poaching and other human-wildlife conflicts have led to the extinction of some African wildlife over time. Conservation efforts have prevented the extinction of other varieties, sometimes with notable success. We will discuss the locations of Africa’s vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered animals in this guide.

African elephant.

African elephants were among the big game in Africa that suffered greatly after decades of unchecked poaching. With only a little over 400000 individuals left, they have since been classified as critically endangered. In just about 50 years, the number of African elephants living in the savannah and forest has decreased by 50% and 86%, respectively. The diminishing natural habitat brought on by humans’ persistent encroachment into forests and grasslands for agricultural purposes is another factor that has significantly contributed to the decline of African elephant populations. As a result, many efforts are being made to protect these endangered species, particularly in the regions of East and Southern Africa, where more than 90% of the total population resides. These days, the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Tarangire, Amboseli, Tsavo, and Samburu are some of the locations where you can see African elephants while on safari. Additionally, a larger population can be found in a number of national parks in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana destinations in southern Africa.

Lions.

Just 24,000 lions are left in the world today, and the majority of them are found in national parks in East and Southern Africa. Due to their ongoing conflict with the pastoral communities that live on the African savannah, these big cats have become less common over time. In the late 20th century, some parks, like Amboseli, had an impressive lion population. However, due to widespread killing by Maasai warriors who believed that killing the big cats would bring honour and fame to their community, the population drastically declined to the point of almost extinction. Nowadays, Tanzania is the best safari destination to see lions because more than 15,000 of them live there in various parks.

Northern white Rhinos.

The northern white rhino is the most endangered subspecies, even though poaching for rhino horns is the main cause of the endangered status of most rhino varieties. These massive creatures used to live in western Uganda, eastern Congo, and parts of Sudan. Regretfully, fatu and Najin are the two female northern white rhinos that remain on the planet today. The two are in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a 700-acre area of heavily guarded wilderness. Despite multiple attempts to impregnate one of the two females, Sudan, an elderly male northern white rhino and the last male rhino on Earth, passed away without producing a calf. As a result, extinction was almost inevitable. Nonetheless, coordinated attempts are underway to artificially nurture embryos in an attempt to potentially avert the dire circumstances.

Black rhinos.

What is different between the black rhinos and White rhinos is that black rhinos have a darker skin while the white rhinos are greyish. Black rhinos additionally possess a smaller head while the white rhinos have longer less defined head. There are only 6000 black rhinos remaining in the world today. This is nevertheless an increase from to 2300 in early 1990s. This has been achieved as a result of conservation efforts being made in Kenya’s Laikipia plains and South Africa. However, the 3 subspecies of black rhinos eastern, southern and northern black rhinos- are still ranked as critically endangered animals. Ol Pejeta, Nairobi national park, Lewa, solio and borana conservancies are some of the places you can see these unique creatures in East Africa.

Cheetahs.

Out of all the big cats in Africa, cheetahs are the most endangered. Less than 7000 cheetahs remain in the world, with the majority of them residing in Africa. These big cats have a very low birth rate, ongoing habitat destruction, and poaching are some of the factors that have contributed to their near extinction. Cheetahs are known for their fastness when pursuing their prey, reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h. They prefer to stay in the open savannah. In most East African parks, these big cats have either become extinct or are extremely rare, but in Ruaha, Serengeti, Selous, and Masai Mara, there is still a sizable population. The rocky eastern Serengeti plains are the most well-known cheetah territories, where you can almost certainly spot some of the big cats during your game drives in the first few minutes of your safari because they enjoy scaling rocks from where they can spot a target in the plains.

Mountain Gorillas.

Nowadays, there are just 1000 mountain gorillas living in the wild. The intriguing primates are majorly located in the eastern Congo parks of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga gorilla national park (Uganda), Virunga (DRC) and Volcanoes (Rwanda). Primates typically live in families of up to 20 members. Every family has a single, powerful man. The fact that mountain gorillas are the closest primate to humans makes them susceptible to illnesses that affect humans. Their DNA differs from that of humans by only 1.6%, according to studies. These primates have a lifespan exceeding 40 years. You should think about taking a gorilla trekking tour in one of the three parks to learn more about these animals. You may have the chance to encounter one of the habituated gorilla families here.

Rothschild giraffes.

Of all the giraffe species, Rothschild giraffes are the most endangered. About 3000 Rothschild giraffes can be found in Uganda and Kenya. Nevertheless, because of the conservation efforts being made to save these enormous animals from extinction, this number is an increase from the late 20th century. The reticulated giraffe has regular but bright chest nut patterns and white spacing, whereas the Maasai giraffes have irregular patterns similar to those of the reticulated giraffe. These differences can be attributed to the well-organized brown patches and cream spacing of the Rothschild giraffes. When approached closely by people, Rothschild giraffes are amiable and do not flee. The best place to see these animals is at the giraffe centre in Nairobi, Kenya, which also houses the giraffe manor hotel. Here’s your chance to feed some of the Rothschild animals kept in the neighboring sanctuary.

Grevy’s zebra.

Out of the three zebra varieties found in Africa, the Grevy’s Zebra is the most endangered, with the other two being plain and common zebras. Less than 3000 Grevy’s Zebras are left today; in the 1970s, there were over 15000. The primary causes of the ongoing decline are overgrazing by cattle and other grazers within an already-restricted range, as well as poaching activities. Grevy’s zebras are taller and have a darker complexion than the other types. In contrast to plain zebras, who are more closely related to horses, they are also more closely related to wild asses than to horses. Several parks in Kenya are home to grevy zebras, primarily the reserves in the north.

Chimpanzees.

Primates called chimpanzees are mostly found in the rainforests of central Africa. Even though there are currently over 350000 chimpanzees in Africa, their numbers are quickly decreasing because of ongoing habitat loss brought on by climate change and human encroachment into rainforests for agricultural purposes. About a century ago, there were more than two million chimpanzees in Africa. Significantly, with a 99% DNA similarity to humans, chimpanzees and humans are more closely related than gorillas. This implies that these apes are susceptible to a few human diseases. Chimpanzees, like gorillas, are social animals that live in families that are a part of a larger, sometimes exceeding 100-person community. A chimpanzee’s lifespan can reach over 40 years. You can go on a chimpanzee trekking adventure in the rainforest that borders Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to learn more about these extraordinary apes.

African wild dog.

Among the most endangered animals in existence today are African wild dogs. There are only about 4000 wild dogs left in the world, and their population is still dropping. These opportunistic hunters, also known as “hunting dogs” or “painted dogs,” can live in packs of up to forty dogs. The most promising location to see African wild dogs is in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve, home to over 1300 animals, or roughly one-third of the species’ total number. These amazing scavengers can also be found in Ruaha National Park, Rungwe Game Reserve, Mikumi National Park, and other southern Tanzanian wilderness areas.