5 Fascinating Facts About the Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
The leopard (after the lion) is the second largest of Africa’s big cats. Of all the celebrated ‘Big Five’ it has perhaps the greatest allure, due to its enigmatic combination of grace, power and elusiveness...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Giraffe
This towering tree-muncher occurs across subSaharan Africa in nine different subspecies. These are distinguished from one another by their different patterns of blotches, but all share the extraordinarily long neck – of course –and many other peculiarities besides.
5 Fascinating Facts About the Common Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees stand alongside gorillas as Africa’s only great apes and are the closest living relatives of humans. The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is the best known of two species – the other being the bonobo, which is smaller...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Shoebill
This huge, grey waterbird, also known as a whale-headed stork, derives its name Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), from its massive bill, which resembles a traditional Dutch clog, with a sharp nail-like hook on the end...
Africa's Decreasing Elephant Population: Country-by-Country Analysis
The elephant has been an icon of African wildlife for many years. To see one in the wild is often a primary reason for people to do an African safari. But will it be around for many more years?
5 Fascinating Facts About the Nile Monitor
The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a hefty reptile, also known as the water monitor, and Africa’s longest lizard, sometimes reaching lengths of over 2 metres – of which more than half is tail...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Caracal
The Caracal (Felis caracal) is an elegant, medium-sized cat which is widespread in open country across much of Africa. Elusive and largely nocturnal, it is seldom seen on safari – although smaller reserves in South Africa’s Cape and Karoo have a good reputation for sightings...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Blue Wildebeest
The Blue Wildebeest, a grazing herd animal has achieved fame as the key player in the Serengeti’s ‘Great Migration’, which is routinely described as the greatest animal show on earth...
5 Fascinating Facts About Vultures
These scavenging raptors are the hyenas of the skies, playing a vital ecological clean-up role by disposing of decomposing carcasses. Broad wings allow Vultures to soar...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Eland
The Eland, an ox-like antelope, is the largest in the world and belongs to the ‘spiral-horned’ subfamily, along with the likes of kudu and bushbuck. There are two...