Flora, fauna and ecosystems
Wildlife of Africa
The continent that gave the world the safari. From the elephants of Hwange to the lemurs of Madagascar, the cape sugarbird of the fynbos to the gelada baboons of the Simien escarpment — Africa’s wild side has more variety than any other landmass.
The numbers
Mammal species
~1,100
Bird species
~2,300
Reptile species
~1,500
Endemic mammals
~50% of African mammals
Ten species every safari hopes for
The five most famous, plus five almost as iconic. All under active conservation pressure; sustainable safari travel funds the rangers and habitats that keep them alive.
African elephant
Across the savanna and forest belt
The largest land animal. Two species — savanna and forest — now recognised. ~415,000 remain.
Lion
Savannas of East and Southern Africa
Africa's only social big cat. Populations have halved in 25 years; ~23,000 wild lions remain.
Leopard
Almost continent-wide
The most adaptable big cat. Found from Cape Town's Table Mountain to the Atlas to the Congo.
Black & white rhinoceros
Southern Africa and Kenya
Northern white rhino is functionally extinct. Black rhino populations are slowly recovering thanks to anti-poaching.
Cape buffalo
Sub-Saharan savanna and miombo woodland
The fifth of the Big Five. Old males form bachelor 'dagga boys'.
Mountain gorilla
Virunga Massif (Rwanda, Uganda, DRC)
Around 1,000 individuals remain. Strict permit system funds ranger protection.
African wild dog
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania
The continent's most endangered large carnivore. ~6,600 left in fragmented packs.
Cheetah
Namibia, Botswana, the Mara, Serengeti
Around 7,000 wild cheetahs remain. Largest stronghold is Namibian farmland.
Hippopotamus
Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan-wide
Kills more people than any other large mammal. Never get between a hippo and water.
Giraffe
Savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa
Now recognised as four species. Reticulated and Rothschild giraffes are most threatened.
Found nowhere else
Africa hosts dozens of species that evolved in pockets of unique habitat. Madagascar alone has 100+ endemic lemur species — none found on the mainland. The Ethiopian highlands and the Congo rainforest are similar islands of evolution.
Lemurs
Madagascar
100+ species found nowhere else. Ring-tailed lemurs, indri, sifakas, the elusive aye-aye.
Gelada baboon
Ethiopian highlands
The only grass-grazing primate. Herds of hundreds graze the Simien escarpment.
Walia ibex
Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Endemic to one mountain range. ~500 individuals remain on the cliff edges.
Okapi
Ituri rainforest, DRC
Forest giraffe relative. Striped legs, blue tongue, unknown to science until 1901.
Aardvark
Across the savanna
Ant-eating nocturnal mammal, the only species in its order.
Fossa
Madagascar
The island's apex predator — a long, dog-sized cousin of mongooses.
Seven great ecosystems
The Africa of the safari brochure is one habitat among many. Rainforest, miombo woodland, desert, montane and Mediterranean fynbos each support distinct species — and distinct kinds of trip.
Savanna grassland
East and Southern Africa
The classic safari landscape — open grass with scattered acacia, supporting the densest large-mammal concentrations on Earth.
Tropical rainforest
Congo Basin, West African coast
Second-largest contiguous rainforest after the Amazon. Forest elephants, bonobos, gorillas, mandrills.
Miombo woodland
Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Angola
Vast belt of Brachystegia woodland. Quieter than savanna but rich in birds and antelope.
Desert and semi-desert
Sahara, Namib, Kalahari, Horn of Africa
Adapted wildlife — desert elephants of Damaraland, fennec foxes in the Sahara, oryx and meerkats in the Kalahari.
Afromontane forest
Albertine Rift, Ethiopian highlands, Cape Fold
Cool, wet mountain forests holding the continent's gorillas, chimps and Ethiopian wolves.
Mediterranean fynbos
Cape Floristic Region
The smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms — and the most diverse, with ~9,000 plant species, two-thirds endemic.
Mangrove and coastal
West, East and Madagascar coasts
Nursery for fish, breeding habitat for shorebirds, and a buffer against coastal erosion.
Iconic plants
The flora gets less attention than the fauna but holds many of the continent’s superlatives — the oldest trees, the smallest floral kingdom, and the only plant that grows two leaves for 1,500 years.
Baobab
Africa's iconic upside-down tree. Some specimens are over 2,000 years old.
Acacia (Vachellia)
The umbrella thorn — the silhouette of the African plains.
Welwitschia mirabilis
The Namib's living fossil. Two leaves, 1,500+ years lifespan.
Quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma)
Namibia's national plant. San bushmen made arrow quivers from its branches.
Cycads
The world's most threatened group of plants. South Africa hosts dozens of species.
Protea
South Africa's national flower and the queen of the Cape fynbos.
Travel as conservation
Why safaris matter
Most African protected areas depend on tourism revenue. Park entry fees, gorilla permits and concession leases pay for rangers, fence maintenance and the community programs that give local people a reason to live alongside lions. Boycotts defund conservation. Visiting well — through accredited operators that pay communities — is one of the best things a traveler can do for African wildlife.