African Safari Wildlife Facts

Amazing Wild Animal Facts and Behavior for African Tourists

Going on vacation to Africa? This information will enrich your safari experience. The more you know about the unique behavior and traits of our wildlife, the more you will appreciate the absolute beauty of their interaction in the African travel.

Hippos are not good swimmers. They are bottom dwellers, keeping slow-moving water ways open by acting as dredgers against siltation and vegetation growth. They wear pathways along the bottom, can push their way to the surface in deep water and slowly return to the bottom. This is not swimming as they cannot control their buoyancy. Hippos can only stay under water for about 5 minutes and will drown in water too deep to reach the surface for air and therefore require a habitat of slow moving water that is deep enough from them to submerge, but not too deep to make surfacing for air impossible. Hippos can sleep under water, subconsciously raising their head to the surface for air. Baby hippos can suckle under water.

Spotted hyena often sit in water to cool off. They are unable to perspire and so pant nasally, the evaporation from the moist mouth and nasal cavities cooling the inhaled air and the blood going to the brain.

Giraffe have seven neck vertebrae, as is common with most mammals; however, one vertebra can be over 25cm long. The forelegs of a giraffe are longer than its neck, therefore the giraffe must bend or splay it legs to drink or feed on the ground. A giraffe's heart, weighing up to 12kg needs to be large and powerful to pump blood through the large body and against the force of gravity up that long neck to the head. Its lungs can hold 55 litres of air. A newborn giraffe is about two metres tall with a weight of 100kg. The baby falls about 2 meters to the ground at birth, the female bending her legs slightly to lessen the height. The slight impact when hitting the ground helps start the lungs breathing.

All zebras have individual striped patterns, as well as their left and right side patterns differing. There is a greater concentration of capillaries under the black stripes than white stripes which is thought to help with dissipating heat which the black draws more of.

Leopard, cheetah and wild dogs have dark bodies with a highly visible and contrasting white patch at the end of the tail. This is used as an easily visible "follow beacon" for young and other members of the pride/pack through long grass or thick bush. Lions have a black tip on their tail, contrasting with a light tan body. Observe the comical warthog that, when alarmed, runs off with tail extended straight up towards the sky so as to be easily followed into the bush.

Lions are the only true social cats with a matriarchal social structure. Groups are formed and based on close bonds among females, not necessarily closely related. Males fight for the right to rule a territory and have access to its females but may form coalitions with brothers, half-brothers or strangers. This improves their chances of maintaining a home range and does not necessarily impede mating opportunities. Lion will defend their territory against members of the same sex.

Black-backed and side-striped jackals form a monogamous bond for life and only find another mate if one partner dies. The male also assists with parenting and supplying food.

Spotted hyena cubs have a black coat for the first three months of life. When twin females are born, one usually kills the other. This is because hyenas are a matriarchal society. Spotted hyena females are bigger than males, and because they dominate food sources, stay that way. Hyena generally dominates all other predators except for lion. In numbers they can intimidate and drive lions off a kill particularly because of superior teamwork. Female genitalia have changed in appearance to mimic those of males, possibly linked to when the species evolved into a matriarchal society. The clitoris has become enlarged to look like a penis which still encloses the vagina and urethra, which has become a common tract. The labia mimic a scrotum and the "testes" are fatty deposits which shrink with age.

A white rhino male can reach up to 2 300kg whereas a large black rhino weighs around 1 100kg. A white rhino has pointed ears, a flattish back with a bump near the middle, and elongated head, a square upper lip for grazing. The young usually runs ahead of the mother and the tail curls back when alarmed. The black rhino has rounded ears, a concave back, a rounded head, and a pointed prehensile upper lip for browsing. The young usually runs behind the mother and the tail is held straight out when alarmed.

Elephants can swim well, not needing to stay in contact with the bottom. The trunk will be used as a snorkel when crossing deep water. Dust or mud bathing after a swim helps protect the skin from sunburn. Suckling calves do not use the trunk to suckle but use the mouth directly.

Pangolins have no relation to armadillos even though they have a superficial resemble and dietary similarities. They are largely free from predation, even from prides of lion and spotted hyena. This is because the pangolin when harassed wraps itself into a ball and is protected by scales made of keratin. These scales are hard with small ridges and have a sharp leading edge. When curled up they lie still, but if harassed further they scythe their tail from side to side which can inflict a nasty cut or even an amputation.