Title of page Let's Explore Wildlife!
An African penguin walking in the white sand.
Photographed at Boulders Beach, South Africa
African Penguin (or Black-footed Penguins)
Facts that make it special: * The only penguin species native to the entire continent of Africa. * Each penguin has unique black chest patterns, making them all different like our fingerprints.
Bird Info:
Where do they call home? South Africa What does it look like? Black & white with pale pink above the eyes, black chest patterns, & black & pink spackled webbed feet for swimming. What is the average bird size? About 24" - 28" tall How long do they live? up to 20 years in the wild. What is a group called? Lots of names! Colony or Rookery: large breeding group on land. Waddle: group walking of standing together Raft: group swimming or floating in the water. Huddle: a group standing very close together on land. Crèche: group of young chicks that stay together for safety. What does their home look like (habitat)? Atlantic Ocean Coastal & Shoreline What do they eat? Sardines, anchovies, & horse mackerel (small fish) How do they communicate? They make braying sounds like a donkey. What do they do all day? Swim and hunt for food, eat, rest & preen in the sun & parent their baby chicks on the sandy beach. What makes life hard for this bird? Their food supply is declining from overfishing, pollution and climate change. What role do they play in its ecosystem? They are eaters of small fish & a food source (prey) for larger predators (both in the water and on land predators), like whales, seals, etc. Current population size: <19,800 or ≈ 10,000 breeding pairs What is the conservation status? CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Conservation organization to learn more: SANCCOB Saving Seabirds
Resource: Penguin International & Two Oceans Aquarium
An African elephant walking through the grasses on the savanna.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
African (Bush/Savanna) Elephant
Facts that make it special: * The largest mammal on Earth! * Known for their incredible memory! *They show emotions, are smart and very social.
Animal Info:
Where do they call home? 23 countries in Africa; with the largest herd living in BotswanaWhat does it look like? Tall & big with dark grey to brown wrinkled thick skin, big fan-like ears that are shaped like the African continent, long nose called a trunk and two big teeth, called tusks, that grow all the time and stick outside the mouth. What is the average animal size? 8-11' tall & up to 15,000 lbs How long do they live? Up to 70 years!What is a group called? A herd of elephants, typically in family groups. Two species of African Elephant: Bush/Savanna & ForestWhat does their home look like (habitat)? African savanna of scrubland, grasses & forest What do they eat? They are Herbivores and only eat plants. All parts of plants (roots, bark, leaves, fruit, stems, grasses).How do they communicate? Trumpeting, low rumbles & screams that can be heard 6 miles away!What do they do all day? They are lead by the oldest female & spend their time eating, walking, drinking, bathing and socializing. Only rest 2-4 hours a day.What makes life hard for this animal? Humans are poaching their ivory tusks to sell for money, they are losing large parts of their habitats to human usage (like livestock raising, farming & places for people to live) & conflicts between humans and elephants because of this. What role do they play in its ecosystem? They are a key stone species; their daily behaviors make habitats for other wildlife. For example: Their large footprints become water sources after a rain for other animals. Their poop (dung) helps spread seeds.Current population size: ≈ 415,000 - 450,000 What is the conservation status? CRITICALLY ENDANGERED African Forest Elephant ENDANGERED African Bush/Savanna Elephant Conservation organization to learn more: Save the Elephants
Resources: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust & Save the Elephants
An African Wild Dog walking in the grasses of the savanna.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
African Wild Dog (Painted Dog)
Facts that make it special: *Very social animals and care for each other in their pack. *Alpha male & Alpha female lead the pack of about 20 dogs.
Animal Info:
Where do they call home? South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, ZambiaWhat does it look like? Tall and lean, dog-like. Each animal has a unique pattern of black, yellow, white & brown fur, rounded ears and a bushy tail with a white tip.What is the average animal size? 30" - 40" long, stand 2' tall with 12" - 16" tails, weigh 40 -80 lbs.How long do they live? ≈ 10 - 11 years in the wild.What is a group called? A pack of African Wild Dogs. What does their home look like (habitat)? Scrublands and sparse woodlands.What do they eat? Carnivores; Smaller animals like rats, birds, wildebeest calves. They hunt in packs to target larger prey like wildebeest or antelopes. How do they communicate? A variety of methods: yaps to rally for hunting, sneezing to contribute in decision-making a group, 'hoo' calls to find lost members, squeals for the eating order, scent marking for territory marking & use body language to greet each other. What do they do all day? They socialize and rest during the hottest part of the day and hunt at sunrise or towards the evening. They also spend time grooming and caring for pups.What makes life hard for this animal? There is less habitat because of more farming & livestock raising, they can get diseases and have more human-wildlife conflict due to the struggle for habitat.What role do they play in its ecosystem? They are successful hunters that help keep antelope populations down which helps prevent antelopes from overgrazing the land. They leave behind scraps of food for scavengers (birds, hyenas) to eat and their poop distributes nutrients back into the soil.Current population size: > 7,000What is the conservation status? ENDANGEREDConservation organization to learn more: Painted Dog Conservation
Resource: International Fund of Animal Welfare & Painted Dog Conservation
African River Eagle
Facts that make it special: * The National bird of Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan *It's loud call is the bird call commonly attributed to sounds of Africa. *Known as kleptoparasites - they steal food from other birds.
Bird Info:
Where do they call home? All over the continent of Africa south of the Sahara desert. Type of bird: A raptor (bird of prey) with spines on its claws to carry slippery fish. What is the average bird size? Wingspan 6'-8' & Body 25"-30"; Weighs 4-8 lbs. What is a group called? Solitary birds but mate for life; from the sea eagle family What do they eat? Fish, waterfowl, terrapins (turtles), crocodiles & sometimes flamingos What type of habitat? Near water; lakes, rivers & coasts. Current population size: 300,000 What is the conservation status? LEAST CONCERN
An African Eagle sits on a tree branch overlooking the savanna.
Photographed at Crooks Corner, Kruger National Park, South Africa
A Black-Backed Jackal walks through the savanna.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
Black-Backed Jackal
Facts that make it special: * Named because of its dark colored fur on its back. *Great scavengers & follow larger predators to clean up after their hunts. * The word 'jackal' is ancient from the Indian Sanskrit language meaning "the howler".
Animal Info:
Where do they call home? East Africa & Southern Africa What is the average animal size? ≈ 15-16" tall & 13-16 lbs What is a group called? A Pack of Black-Backed Jackals. What do they eat? Omnivores/small animals, insects, fruit. What type of habitat? Savanna, grasslands, semi-deserts & coastal Population size: Unknown; widespread & breeding is abundant with lots of pups! What is the conservation status? OF LEAST CONCERN
A cape buffalo standing in the savanna looking out.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
Cape Buffalo
Facts that make it special: * Known to have a terrible temper! Watch out! * One of the 'Big 5' of wildlife to see on Safari. *The horns across its head are called a boss.
Animal Info:
Where do they live? Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda What is the average animal size? 5'-6' tall, 1,100 - 2,000 lbs. They are BIG! What is a group called? A herd of Cape Buffalo. What do they eat? Herbivores; grazing and eating only grasses. What type of habitat? African savanna, grassland, swamps. Walk daily to water sources. Current population size: ≈ 400,000 Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED Conservation organization to learn more: African Wildlife Foundation
A Cape Sugarbird sitting on top of a Protea flower in South Africa.
Photographed at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, South Africa
Cape Sugarbird
Facts that make it special: * Only lives in South Africa. *Have long curved beaks that fit into flowers for getting nectar. * The male birds have tail feathers 3x the length of its body. WOW!
Bird Info:
Where do they call home? Only found in South Africa What is the average bird size? ≈ 13-17" tip of beak to tail What is a group called? A group or flock of Cape Sugarbirds. What do they eat? Nectar of Protea flowers. What type of habitat? The Fynbos shrub land region of South Africa. Population size: 750,000 - 1.2 million What is the conservation status? OF LEAST CONCERN
A mama Chacma Baboon carrying it's young child on it's back in South Africa.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
Chacma Baboon
Facts that make it special: * Largest monkey species in Africa. *A primate that is closely related to humans.
Animal Info:
Where do they call home? South Africa, Angola, Zambia Five Species of Baboons: Olive, Yellow, Kinda, Hamadryas, Chacma & Guinea Baboons What is the average animal size? Up to 45" in body length What is a group called? A troop of Chacma Baboons. What do they eat? Omnivores, eating all parts of plants (roots, fruit, grasses. seeds...) What type of habitat? Africa savanna, grasslands & semi-arid areas Population size: Unknown What is the conservation status? 4 of the 5 species OF LEAST CONCERN Guinea (also called Red Baboon) Baboon: NEAR THREATENED
A cheetah standing in the savanna looking out.
Photographed at Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia
Cheetah
Facts that make it special: * World's fastest land mammal with speeds up to 70mph! * Cheetahs purr like a domestic cat and cannot roar. *Have a 20' stride when running full speed!
Animal Info: (LOTS MORE info - Cheetah tab)
Where do they live? Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, Horn of Africa, Tanzania, small population in Iran & reintroduced in India What is the average animal size? 28-36" tall, up to 7.5' nose to tip of tail What is a group called? Only males form groups called coalitions. What do they eat? smaller antelopes, hare, rodents, birds, young warthogs What type of habitat? African savanna, grassland Current population size: ≈ 7,000 total wild cheetahs Conservation Status: 3 of the 5 subspecies are CRITICALLY ENDANGERED or ENDANGERED Conservation organization to learn more: Cheetah Conservation Fund
Resource: Cheetah Conservation Fund & Cheetah Kids Eplorer
A Nile Crocodile half-submerged in a river in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Photographed at Kruger National Park, South Africa
Nile Crocodile
Facts that make it special: * In Africa there are ONLY crocodiles. There are no alligators. *They have the STRONGEST bite force of any animal!
Reptile Info:
Where do they call home? Lots of countries in Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe. What is the average animal size? 11' - 16' 5" in body length What is a group called? A group of crocodiles on land is called a bask. A group of crocodiles in the water is called a float. What do they eat? Young crocodiles eat mostly water-based food (fish, other reptiles, tadpoles/frogs), adult crocodiles can eat larger vertebrates, like antelope, buffalo, young hippos, and even large cats. What type of habitat? They live near freshwater sources like rivers, swamps, lakes, & marshes. Population size: 50,000 - 70,000 What is the conservation status? LEAST CONCERN
Kori Bustard Bird
Facts that make it special: * Africa's heaviest bird at 40 lbs. (19kg) * They suck their water up instead of scooping it like other birds.
Bird Info:
Where do they call home? Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, southern Angola, South Africa and southern Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, What does the word 'bustard' mean? The word 'bustard' means birds that walk. Type of bird: Kori Bustard typically stay on the ground and are land birds. What is the average bird size? Wingspan 7'-9' wide & Males are bigger with bodies 4'-5' tall, weigh 40 lbs. & Females stand 2 - 3' tall, weigh up to 15 lbs. What is a group called? Solitary birds until mating time & males are seen in groups called a Lek that form around a female to show off; females often seen with baby chicks. What do they eat? Omnivore; eating both plants (berries) & animals (snakes & lizards) plus insects like locust & dung beetles. What type of habitat? Scrubland, grasslands & woodlands Current population size: ≈ 10,000 What is the conservation status? NEAR THREATENED
Kori Bustard walks through the grassland.
Photographed at Etosha National Park, Namibia

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Some people talk to animals, not many listen though. That's the problem. -Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)
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