The mammals of East Africa
This field guide provides a quick reference to help you identify the larger mammals likely to be encountered in East Africa, together with their Kiswahili names. Straightforward photos show easily identified markings and features. The notes give you clear pointers about the kinds of habitat in which you are most likely to see each mammal; its daily rhythm (usually either nocturnal or diurnal); the kind of social groups it usually forms; and general tips about sighting it on safari, its rarity and its relations with humans. For further details and background, see "Wildlife and habitats".

Yellow Baboon
Papio cynocephalus (Nyani)

open country with trees and cliffs; adaptable, but always near water

diurnal

troops led by a dominant male

common throughout East Africa; two species, P. cynocephalus (illustrated) and P. anubis (Olive); both species adapt quickly to humans, are frequently a nuisance and occasionally dangerous

Black-and-White Colobus Monkey
Colobus guereza (Mbega)

thick forest, both in highlands and along water courses in otherwise arid savannah; almost entirely arboreal

diurnal

small troops

two species of black and whites, C. angolensis on the Indian Ocean coast and in northern Tanzania, and the much larger C. guereza, in up-country Kenya; troops maintain a limited home territory, so easily located, but can be hard to see at a great height

Red Colobus Monkey
Procolobus badius (Kima punju)

thick forest, both in highlands and along water courses in otherwise arid savannah; almost entirely arboreal

diurnal

troops of several dozen individuals

limited distribution and highly endangered; most common in Jozani Forest on Zanzibar (P. b. kirkii), Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains (P. b. gordonorum) and the Tana River Primate National Park in Kenya (P. b. tephrosceles)

Patas Monkey
Erythrocebus patas (Ngedere)

savannah and forest margins; tolerates some aridity; terrestrial except for sleeping and lookouts

diurnal

small troops

endangered and infrequently seen; can run at high speed and stand on hind feet supported by tail

Vervet Monkey
Cercopithecus aethiops or C. pygerythrus (Tumbili)

most habitats except rainforest and arid lands; arboreal and terrestrial

diurnal

troops

widespread and common; occasionally a nuisance where used to humans (will steal food and anything else to hand)

Blue or Sykes' Monkey
Cercopithecus mitis (Nyabu)

forests; arboreal and occasionally terrestrial

diurnal

families or small troops

widespread; shyer and less easily habituated to humans than the Vervet; can be a pest for farmers

Lesser Bushbaby or Galago
Galago senegalensis (Komba)

woodland; arboreal

nocturnal

solitary or in small family groups

unfazed by humans, these small foragers often frequent lodge restaurants; call is a distinctive wail like a baby's; huge eyes, inquisitive fingers, fondness for bananas

Aardvark
Orycteropus afer (Mhanga)

open or wooded termite country; softer soil preferred

nocturnal

solitary

rarely seen animal, the size of a small pig; old burrows are common and often used by warthogs

Pangolin or Scaly Anteater
Manis temminckii (Kakakuona)

termite savannah and woodland; terrestrial

nocturnal

solitary or in pairs; baby carried on mother's back

armoured ant and termite eater resembling an armadillo; when frightened, they secrete a smelly liquid from anal glands and roll into a ball with their scales erect (pangolin is Malay for "rolling over")

Spring Hare or Cape Jumping Hare
Pedetes capensis (Kamendegere)

savannah; softer soil areas preferred

nocturnal

burrows, usually with a pair and their young; often linked into a network, almost like a colony

fairly widespread rabbit-sized rodent; impressive and unmistakable kangaroo-like leaper

Crested Porcupine
Hystrix cristata (Nungu or Nungunungu)

adaptable to a wide range of habitats, often in caves

nocturnal and sometimes active at dusk

family groups

large rodent (up to 90cm in length), rarely seen, but common away from croplands, where it's hunted as a pest, or for its quills

Bat-eared Fox or Cape Fox
Otocyon megalotis (Mbweha masikio)

open country

mainly nocturnal; diurnal activity increases in cooler months

monogamous pairs

distribution coincides with termites, their favoured diet; they spend many hours foraging using sensitive hearing to pinpoint their underground prey

Black-backed Jackal
Canis mesomeles (Bweha)

broad range from moist mountain regions to desert, but drier areas preferred

normally nocturnal, but diurnal in the safety of game reserves

mostly monogamous pairs; sometimes family groups

a common, bold scavenger the size of a mid-sized dog that steals even from lions; three species in East Africa: black-backed with a "saddle" (illustrated); the shy side-striped (C. adustus); and golden (C. aureus) – the commonest species in Tanzania, restricted in Kenya to the Rift Valley and Laikipia

African Hunting Dog or Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus (Mbwa mwitu)

open savannah in the vicinity of grazing herds

diurnal

nomadic packs

extremely rare and rarely seen, but widely noted when in the area; the size of a large dog, with distinctively rounded ears and blotchy orange and brown fur

Honey Badger or Ratel
Mellivora capensis (Nyegere)

very broad range of habitats

mainly nocturnal

usually solitary, but also found in pairs

widespread, omnivorous, badger-sized animal; nowhere common; extremely aggressive

African Civet
Civettictis civetta (Fungo)

prefers woodland and dense vegetation

mainly nocturnal

solitary

omnivorous, medium-dog-sized, short-legged prowler; not to be confused with the smaller genet

Genet
Genetta genetta (Kanu)

light bush country, even arid areas; partly arboreal

nocturnal, but becomes active at dusk

solitary

quite common, slender, cat-sized omnivore, often seen at game lodges, where it easily becomes habituated to humans

Banded Mongoose
Mungos mungo (Nguchiro)

thick bush and dry forest

diurnal

lives in burrow colonies of up to thirty animals

widespread and quite common, the size of a small cat; often seen in a group, hurriedly foraging through the undergrowth. The main East African species are the banded (illustrated); dwarf (Helogale parvula); and black-tipped or slender (Galerella sanguinea)

Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta (Fisi madoa)

tolerates a wide variety of habitat, with the exception of dense forest

nocturnal but also active at dusk; also diurnal in many parks

highly social, usually living in extended family groups

the size of a large dog with a distinctive loping gait, quite common in parks, especially early in the morning; carnivorous scavenger and cooperative hunter; dangerous; not to be confused with the shy, solitary and rarely seen striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena; Fisi miraba)

Caracal
Caracal caracal (Simba mangu)

open bush and plains; occasionally arboreal

mostly nocturnal

solitary

lynx-like wild cat; rather uncommon and rarely seen

Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus (Duma)

savannah, in the vicinity of plains grazers

diurnal

solitary or temporary nuclear family groups

widespread but low population; much slighter build than the leopard, and distinguished from it by a small head, square snout and dark "tear mark" running from eye to jowl

Leopard
Panthera pardus (Chui)

highly adaptable; frequently arboreal

nocturnal; also cooler daylight hours

solitary

the size of a very large dog; not uncommon, but shy and infrequently seen; rests in thick undergrowth or up trees; very dangerous

Lion
Panthera leo (Simba)

all habitats except desert and thick forest

nocturnal and diurnal

prides of three to forty; more usually six to twelve

commonly seen resting in shade; dangerous

Serval
Felis serval (Mondo)

reed beds or tall grassland near water

normally nocturnal but more diurnal than most cats

usually solitary

some resemblance to the cheetah but far smaller; most likely to be seen on roadsides or at water margins at dawn or dusk

Rock Hyrax
Procavia capensis (Pimbi or Wibari)

rocky areas, from mountains to isolated outcrops

diurnal

colonies consisting of a territorial male with as many as thirty related females

rabbit-sized; very common; often seen sunning themselves in the early morning on rocks

African Elephant
Loxodonta africana (Tembo or Ndovu)

wide range of habitats, wherever there are trees and water

nocturnal and diurnal; sleeps as little as four hours a day

almost human in its complexity; cows and offspring in herds headed by a matriarch; bulls solitary or in bachelor herds

look out for fresh dung (football-sized) and recently damaged trees; frequently seen at waterholes from late afternoon; dangerous

Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis (Faru/Kifaru)

usually thick bush, altitudes up to 3500m

active day and night, resting between periods of activity

solitary

extremely rare and in critical danger of extinction; largely confined to parks and heavily protected wildlife reserves; distinctive hooked lip for browsing; bad eyesight; very dangerous

White Rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum (Faru/Kifaru)

savannah

active day and night, resting between periods of activity

males solitary, otherwise small same-sex herd or nursery group

Not found in Tanzania; confined to protected reserves; distinctive wide mouth (hence "white" from Afrikaans wijd) for grazing; docile

Burchell's Zebra
Equus burchelli (Punda milia)

savannah, with or without trees, up to 4500m

active day and night, resting intermittently

harems of several mares and foals led by a dominant stallion are usually grouped together, in herds of up to several thousand

widespread and common inside and outside the parks

Grevy's Zebra
Equus grevyi (Punda milia)

arid regions

largely diurnal

mares with foals and stallions generally keep to separate troops; stallions sometimes solitary and territorial

easily distinguished from smaller Burchell's Zebra by narrow stripes and very large ears; rare and localized but easily seen; not found in Tanzania

Bush Pig
Potamochoerus porcus (Nguruwe mwitu)

forest and dense thickets close to water

nocturnal

groups (sounders) of up to twenty animals

resembles a long-haired domestic pig with tasselled hair on its ears and white-crested back

Warthog
Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Ngiri or Gwasi)

savannah, up to an altitude of over 2000m

diurnal

family groups, usually of a female and her litter

common; boars are distinguishable from sows by their prominent facial "warts"

Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius (Kiboko)

slow-flowing rivers, dams and lakes

principally nocturnal, leaving the water to graze

bulls are solitary, but other animals live in family groups headed by a matriarch

usually seen by day in water, with top of head and ears breaking the surface; frequently aggressive and very dangerous when threatened or when retreat to water is blocked

Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis (Twiga)

wooded savannah and thorn country

diurnal

loose, non-territorial, leaderless herds

common; many subspecies, of which Maasai (G. c. tippelskirchi, left), Reticulated (G. c. reticulata, bottom l.) and Rothschild's (G. c. rothschildi, below) are East African

African or Cape Buffalo
Syncerus caffer (Nyati or Mbogo)

wide range of habitats, always near water, up to altitudes of 4000m

nocturnal and diurnal, but inactive during the heat of the day

gregarious, with cows and calves in huge herds; young bulls often form small bachelor herds; old bulls are usually solitary

very common; scent much more acute than other senses; very dangerous, old bulls especially so

Red Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus (Kongoni)

wide range of grassy habitats

diurnal

females and calves in small, wandering herds; territorial males solitary

hard to confuse with any other antelope except the topi; many varieties, distinguishable by horn shape; most common is the Red or Cape (illustrated); others include Coke's (A. cokei), Lichtenstein's (A. lichtensteinii), and Jackson's (A. jacksoni), found only in Kenya

Topi or Sassaby
Damaliscus lunatus (Nyamera)

grasslands, showing a marked preference for moist savannah, near water

diurnal

females and young form herds with an old male

widespread, very fast runners; male often stands sentry on an abandoned termite hill, actually marking the territory against rivals, rather than defending against predators

Blue Wildebeest or Brindled Gnu Connochaetes taurinus (Nyumbu)
grasslands

diurnal, occasionally also nocturnal

intensely gregarious; wide variety of associations within mega-herds which may number over one million animals

unmistakable, nomadic grazer; long tail, mane and beard

Gerenuk
Litocranius walleri (Swala twiga)

arid thorn country and semi-desert

diurnal

solitary or in small, territorial harems

not uncommon; unmistakable, its name is Somali for "giraffe-necked"; often browses standing upright on hind legs; the female is hornless

Grant's Gazelle
Gazella granti (Swala granti)

wide grassy plains with good visibility, sometimes far from water

diurnal

small, territorial harems

larger than the similar Thomson's Gazelle, distinguished from it by the white rump patch which extends onto the back; the female has smaller horns than the male

Thomson's Gazelle
Gazella thomsoni (Swala tomi)

flat, short-grass savannah, near water

diurnal

gregarious, in a wide variety of social structures, often massing in the hundreds with other grazing species

smaller than the similar Grant's Gazelle, distinguished from it by the black band on flank; the female has tiny horns

Impala
Aepyceros melampus (Swala pala)

open savannah near light woodland cover

diurnal

large herds of females overlap with several male territories; males highly territorial during the rut when they separate out breeding harems of up to twenty females

common, medium-sized, no close relatives; distinctive high leaps when fleeing; the only antelope with a black tuft above the hooves; males have long, lyre-shaped horns

Common (or Southern) Reedbuck
Redunca arundinum (Tohe)

reedbeds and tall grass near water

nocturnal and diurnal

monogamous pairs or family groups in territory defended by the male

medium-sized antelope, with a plant diet unpalatable to other herbivores; only males have horns

Common Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus (Kuro)

open woodland and savannah, near water

nocturnal and diurnal

territorial herds of females and young, led by dominant male, or territorial males visited by wandering female herds

common, rather tame, large antelope; plant diet unpalatable to other herbivores; shaggy coat; only males have horns

Kirk's Dikdik
Madoqua kirkii (Digidigi or Dika)

scrub and thornbush, often far from water

nocturnal and diurnal, most active morning and evening

monogamous pairs for life, often accompanied by current and previous young

tiny, hare-sized antelope, named after its alarm cry; males are horned, females slightly larger; found next to or in bushes, and almost always in pairs; territory marked by piles of droppings and black secretions deposited on grass stems

Common Duiker
Sylvicapra grimmia (Nysa)

adaptable; prefers dense scrub and woodland, some subspecies prefer mountainous forests

nocturnal and diurnal

most commonly solitary; sometimes in pairs; occasionally monogamous

widespread and common small antelope with a rounded back, up to 70cm tall; seen close to cover; rams have short straight horns.

Suni Neotragus moschatus (Suni)
forest, or dense, dry bush

nocturnal and crepuscular

monogamous pairs, sometimes with additional non-breeding females

even smaller than dikdiks, no higher than 32cm; extremely isolated populations scattered throughout East Africa including Zanzibar, particularly forested coastal hills; hide in shade by day; freeze when threatened before darting into undergrowth

Sitatunga
Tragelaphus spekei (Nzohe)

swamps

nocturnal and sometimes diurnal

territorial and mostly solitary or in pairs

very localized and not likely to be mistaken for anything else; usually seen half submerged; females have no horns

Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus (Kulungu or Mbawala)

thick bush and woodland close to water

principally nocturnal, but also active during the day when cool

solitary, but casually sociable; sometimes grazes in small groups

medium-sized antelope with white stripes and spots; often seen in thickets, or heard crashing through them; the male has shortish straight, spiralled horns

Eland
Taurotragus oryx (Mpofu or Mbungu)

highly adaptable; semi-desert to mountains, but prefers scrubby plains

nocturnal and diurnal

non-territorial herds of up to sixty with temporary gatherings of as many as a thousand

common but shy; the largest and most powerful African antelope; both sexes have straight horns with a slight spiral

Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros (Tandala mkubwa)

semi-arid, hilly or undulating bush country; tolerant of drought

diurnal when secure; otherwise nocturnal

territorial; males usually solitary; females in small troops with young

impressively big antelope (up to 1.5m at shoulder) with very long, spiral horns in the male; very localized; shy of humans and not often seen

Lesser Kudu
Tragelaphus imberbis (Tandala mdogo)

semi-arid, hilly or undulating bush country; tolerant of drought

diurnal when secure; otherwise nocturnal

territorial; males usually solitary; females in small troops with young

smaller than the Greater Kudu; only the male has horns; extremely shy and usually seen only as it disappears

Fringe-eared Oryx
Oryx gazella callotis (Choroa)

open grasslands; also waterless wastelands; tolerant of prolonged drought

nocturnal and diurnal

highly hierarchical mixed herds of up to fifteen, led by a dominant bull

the callotis subspecies is one of two found in East Africa, the other, in northeastern Kenya, being the Beisa Oryx (Oryx g. beisa)

Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger (Palahala)

open woodland with medium to tall grassland near water

nocturnal and diurnal

territorial; bulls divide into sub-territories, through which cows and young roam; herds of immature males; sometimes pairs in season

large antelope; upper body dark brown to black; mask-like markings on the face; both sexes have huge curved horns

Roan Antelope
Hippotragus equinus (Kirongo)

tall grassland near water

nocturnal and diurnal; peak afternoon feeding

small herds led by a dominant bull; herds of immature males; sometimes pairs in season

large antelope, distinguished from the Sable by lighter, greyish colour, shorter horns (both sexes) and narrow, tufted ears

Steinbok
Raphicerus campestris (Dondoo or Dondoro)

dry savannah

nocturnal and diurnal

solitary or (less often) in pairs

widespread small antelope, surprisingly aggressive towards attackers but shy with humans; males have horns

Grysbok
Raphicerus melanotis sharpei (Dondoo or Dondoro)

thicket adjacent to open grassland

nocturnal

rams territorial; loose pairings

small, rarely seen antelope; the East African subspecies is Sharpe's (illustrated); distinguished from more slender Steinbok by light underparts; rams have short horns

Oribi
Ourebia ourebia (Kasia)

open grassland

diurnal

territorial harems consisting of male and one to four females

localized small antelope, but not hard to see where common; only males have horns; the Oribi is distinguished from the smaller Grysbok and Steinbok by a black tail and dark skin patch below the eye

Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus (Mbuzi mawe)

rocky country; cliffs and kopjes

diurnal

territorial ram with mate or small family group; often restricted to small long-term territories

small antelope; horns normally only on male; extremely agile on rocky terrain; unusually high hooves, giving the impression of walking on tiptoe

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