Africa’s Greatest Animals
The African savanna is one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth, and it’s home to some of the most powerful and captivating animals in the world. From the speediest sprinter on four legs to the largest land animal and the most intelligent scavenger, each one has an important role to play in this wild and untamed ecosystem. With that in mind, here are 5 significant ones to consider.
1. Lions
Lions are big cats and fierce predators, and are known as the kings of the jungle. A pride is made up of groups of females who hunt together and males who protect their territory from other males. Lions are strong and muscular, move quietly and easily, and are tawny-colored so they can hide in the tall grasses on the African plains.
2. Cheetahs
Cheetahs are tall, slender cats with creamy golden coats of fur covered in solid black spots. Their body shape and coat markings enable them to camouflage well into the golden grasses of the savanna. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world and can reach speeds of 50 to 80 mph in short bursts to catch prey.
3. Hyenas
Hyenas are stocky, doglike carnivores with strong jaws, hyena-like laughs, and tight-knit social groups. Clans, as their groups are called, can be made of up to 100 members, and together they will hunt for small prey or scavenge for the leftovers of larger animals like lions. Hyenas are usually portrayed as scavengers, but they are also successful predators and important to the savanna food chain.
4. Bush Elephants
The African bush elephant is the largest land mammal. They can be 11 feet tall and weigh up to 15,000 pounds. They eat grasses, bark, leaves, and roots, and change their environment by moving through it. Elephants' size and tusks make them safe from predators, but they are endangered from poaching.
5. Rhinos
Rhinos are large, thick-skinned herbivores best known for their prominent horns made of keratin that jut from the snout. They use their horns to protect themselves, root up food, and mark their territory on the savanna. Both the white and black rhino have slowly recovered from near-extinction thanks to conservation efforts after decades of poaching and habitat loss.
