The impala is a common sight in the savanna and sparse woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. They stand out from other antelope species with their long, gracefully curving horns.
Leopards have spotted coats and piercing green eyes. They hunt alone and are one of the fastest animals on earth.
1. Lion
The Lion is a powerful symbol of Africa and is often seen in movies such as “Tarzan” or the “Lion King.” They are one of the most powerful predators on land. They have been known to sneak into villages looking for food and are responsible for about 100 human deaths each year.
Lions are very social animals that live in groups called prides. Males are the dominant ones in these groups and they can be identified by their large manes. Although males do most of the hunting, they don’t hunt alone and prefer to work with a team. This allows them to catch animals that are much faster than themselves. They mainly prey on herbivores such as zebra and impala but can also attack larger animals like buffalo, wildebeest, and hippos. They are not afraid to climb into trees in order to get the best angle for a kill.
2. Elephant
With huge ears that can measure six feet from tip to tip and five feet across, these massive mammals are a sight to behold. African elephants live in herds led by an older female, called a matriarch. Herds also include adult males (bulls) and their offspring.
These animals have a very complex social structure. They are known to bond with other species like baboons, Nile crocodiles and Egyptian plovers. This interspecies friendship serves a practical purpose. The plovers feed on the decaying meat of dead elephants and the baboons help to clean herds of ticks and parasites.
The world's largest land animal has a long trunk that is used for everything from digging for roots and water to fighting and even spraying dirt over themselves for sunburn protection. When threatened, elephants will flutter their ears and stomp their feet in a display of power.
3. Leopard
The Leopard is a stealthy hunter, hiding under leaves and stalking prey before pouncing with deadly swiftness. These cats are strong climbers, hauling their kills into trees to keep them from scavengers such as hyenas.
Kudu, one of Africa’s largest antelope species, are easily spotted with their erect, corkscrew horns and light to dark brown coats. They can be seen throughout Southern Africa, especially in game reserves such as Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which spans South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.
Seeing a cheetah on the prowl is a highlight of many safaris. Despite what you might think from the Disney movie Tarzan, it’s not all Hakuna Matata between rainforest animals, and cheetahs hunt gazelle and springbuck. They also scavenge if there’s nothing else around, eating carrion like dead warthogs and other animals that have been killed by bigger predators.
4. Hippo
Hippos are a large herbivorous animal but can also be omnivorous. They spend most of their time near waterways, such as rivers and lakes in East and sub-Saharan Africa. They are powerful swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for several minutes.
The hippo is considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa because of its powerful canine teeth and its unpredictable behavior. They are not afraid to aggressively defend their territory and will even spray dung around potential predators.
Their dense bodies make it impossible for them to float, but they are well adapted for aquatic life with ears and eyes placed at the top of their heads and nostrils that close to keep water out. They like to cool themselves in muddy river banks and spend a lot of their day resting and bathing. Unlike other animals such as lions, elephants and cheetahs, hippos do not typically live in a pack and are instead solitary.
5. Giraffe
For an unforgettable sight in the wild, look out for giraffes at a waterhole or bending down to drink. They obtain most of their water from the food they eat, but when they do need to drink, they splay their front legs to get their heads down as close as possible to the ground to avoid being attacked by crocodiles or other predators.
Their spotted patterns serve as camouflage, blending in with the shadows and leaves of their surroundings. They can also twist their necks up to a height of 8 meters to reach higher branches.
Giraffes are gregarious animals and often hang around in groups of up to 20. They have excellent eyesight and when one giraffe spots a predator, the others look in that direction too. Giraffes are also able to run, despite their long, gangly bodies.
6. Zebra
Like giraffes, these striking black-and-white striped mammals are a study in contrasts. They are willful yet playful, standoffish but social, and vulnerable yet resilient.
They’re also surprisingly expressive. They communicate with stomping feet and fluttering ears. When in danger, they’ll lash out with their powerful tusks. This display is a threat signal known as musth and is responsible for 100-500 deaths a year.
Unlike other members of the horse family, zebras live in small families called harems consisting of a stallion and his mares and foals. The lead male sounds the alarm if danger is near and stays at the back of the herd to defend against predators like lions, hyenas or wild dogs. Zebras are herbivores and spend most of their time grazing, chewing for hours at a time with their sharp front teeth to clip off grass stems and leaves and grind the rest with their back ones.
7. Impala
The swift-running antelope is a favourite safari animal for many reasons. It can be found in the wild in a number of different habitats across Africa and is known for its beautiful, graceful movements.
It is also one of the best high jumpers in the animal kingdom, capable of leaping three metres or more in a single bound. As grazers and browsers it is a very adaptable species, moving between savannas and woodlands depending on the season.
Male impala (rams) have lyre-shaped horns which they use to fight rivals and predators. The curved arch in the horns means they can interlock during a skirmish, protecting the head from damage. Impala practise safety in numbers, often congregating in herds hundreds strong. They are able to move quickly when a predator is detected, scattering in all directions to confuse the attack.
8. Hornbill
The jungles of Africa are also home to many other exotic species, but sadly some have been hunted to the brink of extinction. The puff adder is a dangerous snake that inhabits parts of the continent and can be found in savannah grasslands, while the great white shark attacks humans it deems as an intruder.
The cheetah is another iconic sight that you can spot on safari, particularly in South Africa's national parks and in the game reserves of Tanzania and Namibia. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, and it's also known as the king of the jungle due to its ability to hunt prey in dense forests and savannas.
The hornbill is a large bird that can be recognised by its long downward-facing bill. There are 45 different types of hornbill in the world, and 24 can be found in Africa.
9. Hippos
Often considered the largest land animal, this amphibious beast spends much of its time in lakes and rivers. Look out for them as they graze along the shores of Lake Naivasha with herds of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles, and risk their lives against crocodiles on the Great Mara River during the annual wildebeest migration.
Hippopotamuses have barrel-shaped torsos, wide-open mouths with large canine teeth and nearly hairless bodies. They're also the second heaviest land mammals and closest relatives to cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).
Herds of up to 200 hippos roam Africa's rivers and swamps, where they use dung middens to mark their territory. These hefty herbivores are fiercely aggressive and can cause over 700 human deaths annually when they become angry. They'll trample or smash boats and canoes, and they may even bite humans that encroach on their habitat.
10. Monkeys
With their prehensile tails monkeys are able to grasp branches and vines and use them to climb. They spend a lot of time foraging for food, filling their cheek pouches with flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds and insects. Old World monkeys like colobus and langurs have chambered stomachs that help ferment and digest the leaves they eat. Monkeys can be seen all across Africa, although they are not as common in savanna areas. They live in large troops where males dominate a social structure that can include hundreds of members.
They are not afraid of humans and will often approach safari vehicles to scavenge for food. Proboscis monkeys are easily recognisable by their big noses. They also have potbellies and red faces that make them look a little like Tarzan. African buffalo might not have the sex appeal of the other Big Five but they are a sight to behold with their long horns.
