Wildlife Conservation | Wildlife Safaris | Wildlife Books | Wildlife Videos | Wildlife Photos | Wildlife Posters

Introduction

For a lot of people who decide to visit Africa they main interest is to view the Wildlife. No other continent offers the same opportunities to see such diverse wildlife, free and often in very close proximity.

To learn a little about the animals you will see before you travel, will enhance your wildlife viewing experience greatly

Most people who safari in Africa hope to see the "BIG 5". The Big Five refers to five of Africa's greatest wild animals - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino

There are so many different species of wildlife in Africa that this will become a vast section -
***   we shall be adding new sections regularly - so please keep checking back

Mammals

African Buffalo	Cheetah	African Elephants	Hippopotamus
Giraffes	African Lion	African Leopard	Rhinoceros
Warthog	Wildebeest	Zebra

Reptiles and Birds
		Birds Currently we have included photographs of a few of the birds spotted in Africa. We will be added little information about each in a short while. This section also contains: Birdwatching Tours in Africa Books about African Birds Links to Other African Birding resources

Click here to browse through our Wildlife Photo Library

				The Ultimate African Wildlife (amazon.com) - USA  (amazon.co.uk) - UK The stunning larger than life photographs - over 200 in total - cover most of the larger mammals in Africa, broken down into six main groupings together with separate chapters on birds and reptiles, as well as a chapter on Madagascar.
				Field Guide to African Wildlife (amazon.com) - USA  (amazon.co.uk) - UK The first and only field guide to offer comprehensive coverage of the African continent, this guide sends the reader on a virtual safari. All the birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects are brought to life, and the parks and reserves for which the continent is famous are described in thorough detail.
				East African Wildlife - Bradt Travel Guides (amazon.com) - USA  (amazon.co.uk) - UK The wildlife of east Africa is the major attraction for visitors to this region, with the legendary game reserves of Serengeti and the Maasai Mara. This new visitor's guide provides a colorful overview of the region’s variety of large mammals together with an insight into their habits and habitats. The book also provides an excellent introduction to the region’s less heralded variety of ‘small stuff’ – including1,500 bird species and butterflies. .
				Southern African Wildlife - Bradt Travel Guides (amazon.com) - USA  (amazon.co.uk) - UK This guide encompasses all countries south of the Zambezi and Kuene rivers: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, southern Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. It provides a colorful introduction to the mammals, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife, along with advice on how to make the most of a safari and even observing wildlife in everyday settings.
				The Very Best of African Wildlife (amazon.com) - USA  (amazon.co.uk) - UK The Very Best of African Wildlife brings together the very best Africa can offer. From the Big Five - lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant - to their many equally impressive companions in the wild, this book presents an extensive overview in stunning images of what the continent has to offer.
--> click for more books about African Wildlife

Did you Know?

... some interesting facts about African Wildlife

Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - the cheetah (70 mph), wildebeest, lion, and Thomson's gazelle (all about 50 mph).

Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly is in the world is found in South Africa. It is know as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly

Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar. ( more info )

Cheetahs
The cheetah is the fastest land animal at 95 km/h (60mph).

Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.

An elephant can weigh up to 6-7 tons and has no natural enemies for he is not a predator and there is none large enough to challenge him.

Did you know elephants drink up to 160 liters of water per day.

An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually turn the pages of a book with it. (more info )

Fish
The only place where shools of fresh water sardines are found is in Lake Tanganyika.

Frogs
The world's biggest frog is found in Cameroon. Named the goliath frog, their body can be one-foot long.

Giraffes
Did you know that the tongue of a giraffe can be as long as 45 cm?

Giraffes are 6 ft tall when they are born. (more info )

Goliath Beetle
The world's largest and heaviest beetle, the Goliath Beetle is found in tropical Africa. It can reach a length of 5 inches and weigh up to ¼ lb more info

Gorillas
The Gorilla is the largest of the living primates, male gorillas weight up to 200kg, yet are shy and retiring.

Nile Crocodiles
The Nile crocodile is the Africa's largest living reptile - growing to an average length of 5 m.

Penguins (see our photo)
South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.

Seals
The largest seal colony in the southern hemisphere is a Cape Cross in Namibia.