The African savannas are famous for the incredible diversity, size and spectacle of their mammals...
Loxodonta africana, 'African (Bush) Elephant'.
Elephant scat. Big animal, big poo.
This diverse order includes lemurs, monkeys, apes, and of course us!
Chlorocebus pygerythrus, 'Vervet Monkey'.
'Vervet Monkey' in troop.
Xerus erythropus, 'Striped Ground Squirrel'. Found in open habitats across sub-Saharan Africa.
These are the antelope with 'long faces'.
Connonchaetes taurinus, 'Blue Wildebeest'. Found in savanna in eastern and southern Africa. The closely related 'Black Wildebeest' is found in southern Africa.
Damaliscus lunatus jimela 'Topi'. A subspecies of the 'Common Tsessebe'. Distinguished from this species by overall rusty colour and darker patches on legs and nose.
This small subfamily includes the Impala.
Aepyceros melampus, 'Impala'.
These are larger and 'spiral horned'.
Syncerus caffer, 'Cape Buffalo' (Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, South Africa). Because of their grumpy disposition, the African Buffalo has never been domesticated, in contrast to the Asian Water Buffalo.
Tragelaphus angasii, '(Lowland) Nyala' (Hluhluwe-Imfolozi-Park, South Africa). They are among the most sexually dimorphic of all antelope; the male (pictured) has horns (with yellow tips), a shaggy appearance and dark colours, while the female (and young male) is lighter brown, more obvious white stripes, no horns, and quite slim (pictured below). They are usually seen on the edge of the more thickly forested areas within the savanna. They are reported to follow troops of baboons or vervet monkeys, feeding on the fruit they knock down out of the trees.
Female and young male Nyala are lighter brown with more obvious white stripes, and have no horns.
Phacochoerus africanus, 'Common Warthog'.
Giraffa camelopardalis, 'Giraffe' (Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, South Africa).
Equus quagga, 'Common Zebra', 'Plains Zebra'. As suggested by the name, this is the most widespread and thus most commonly seen species of Zebra. Found in open habitats across southern and eastern Africa.
White Rhino (Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, South Africa).
Mungos mungo, 'Banded Mongoose' (Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda).