Tanzania




Wildlife - others


Plains zebra

Black rhinoceroses

African elephant


Hippopotamus


Giraffe

Warthogs

Hyraxes





Plains zebra


Tanzania’s only wild equid is the plains (or Burchell’s) zebra, an unmistakeable striped horse that often mingles with antelope, especially wildebeest and gazelle. Stallions are larger than mares, standing up to 1.4m high and weighing 250-300kg. It is often seen in large groups, particularly in the Serengeti, but these are ephemeral units, comprised of several non-territorial herds dominated and hotly defended by a stallion with exclusive breeding access to a harem of up to five mares.


Viewing tip: When a zebra herd closes ranks around the young, or a stallion stares in one direction for a prolonged period, it probably means that a predator has been detected. 


Top spot: Densities are highest in the Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystem, but it’s also common in Tarangire, Manyara, Arusha, Katavi, Ruaha, Mikumi and Selous.  


        





Black rhinoceroses


This endangered rhinoceros is the smaller of two African species, and the only one found in Tanzania. Despite its tank-like build, armoured hide, fearsome horns and bad temper, it is very scarce, with the global population estimated at below 5,000. In southern Africa, where black and white rhino compete, it is associated with dense woodland, but in East Africa it often forages in the open.


Viewing tip: Early risers who descend to Ngorongoro Crater with a packed breakfast may well be treated to a close-up sighting of rhino emerging from Lerai Forest to the grassland.    


Top spot: Ngorongoro is by far the most reliable site, but black rhino are also present in Selous, parts of the southern Serengeti, and Mkomazi.


 

 

African elephant



Tanzania is the world’s most important stronghold for this intelligent, sociable and playful creature, harbouring an population of at least 100,000, some 60% of which is centred on Selous. The African elephant can be highly entertaining to observe for extended periods, but can also be physically intimidating on account of its immense bulk, fierce trumpeting call and unpredictable temperament. The 1980s was a heyday for commercial ivory poachers, whose activities caused the continental population to plummet from more than a million in 1970 to about 350,000 in 1990. The continental population is thought to have doubled since a CITES ban on ivory trade was introduced in 1990, but it remains in decline outside of protected areas.


Viewing tip: Elephants typically visit a water source about three hours after sunrise, and will often linger there until late afternoon on hot days, wallowing or spraying themselves with water.


Top spot: Selous for sheer numbers, though Katavi, Tarangire and Ruaha are comparable, and  Ngorongoro and Manyara are better for large tuskers. The Serengeti is relatively poor, with the main concentration being in the far north.






Hippopotamus



The second-largest non-marine mammal in Tanzania is the common hippopotamus, whose combination of purplish-grey hairless hide, pinkish undersides and cheeks, barrel-like torso, and stumpy legs render it unmistakeable. It is the most characteristic resident of Africa’s rivers and lakes, typically seen in territorial groups of 10-20 individuals, which communicate in loud rather comical grunts and frequently yawn to reveal their wide mouth and monstrous canines. Ears, eyes and nostrils are placed high on the roof of the skull, allowing a hippo to spend most of the day submerged, resurfacing every 5-10 minutes to breathe.



Viewing tip: Be very cautious about approaching the water’s edge at dusk or dawn – a disturbed hippo can attain a speed of 35 km/hour, and will mow down anything that gets between it and the safety of the water, with potentially fatal results. 


Top site: Katavi is arguably the place in Africa for concentrated hippo interaction, but Selous, Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and most other reserves offer good hippo viewing.    






Giraffe



The name giraffe almost certainly derives from Arabic, most likely zirafah ("the tallest") but also possibly Xirapha (“swift walker”). Both appellations are appropriate – this is the world’s tallest land mammal, standing up to 5.8m high and weighing up to 2,000 kg, and it attains a speed of 50km/hour, betraying a rather odd and amusing gait when it does so. The race present in Tanzania is the Maasai giraffe, which typically sports jagged spots on a yellow-fawn background, but can be so dark as appear almost melanistic in some areas, notably Manyara.



Viewing tip: Behaviour to watch out for is necking, which is exclusive to males. Its functions range from combat to affection and sexual arousal – indeed, same sex mounting is more frequently observed in giraffes than heterosexual coupling.


Top spot: Densities are probably higher in the northern Selous, where aggregations 50 animals are commonplace. It is also common in Serengeti, Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha, Saadani, Ruaha, Katavi and Mikumi, but is absent from the Ngorongoro Crater and southern Selous.







Warthogs


One pf the most familiar and endearing sights of the African savannah that of a warthog family trotting off with an characteristic aura of determined nonchalance, long tails raised stiffly in the air. This unusually slender, long-legged swine stands up to 80cm high at the shoulder, has a sparsely-haired grey coat that contrasts with its long dorsal mane, large upward curving tusks, and a trio of callus-like facial warts.



Viewing tip: If you chance upon what looks like an unusually hirsute warthog, it is probably a bushpig, a widespread but seldom observed nocturnal resident of forest and riparian woodland.


Top spot: Probably most common in the Serengeti, but readily seen in most savannah reserves, including Ngorongoro, Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha, Saadani, Mikumi, Katavi, Selous and Ruaha.






Hyraxes


Endemic to Africa, hyraxes are superficially rodent-like small mammals that resemble an overgrown guinea pig but are sharper of tooth. Most common is the rock hyrax, which typically lives in rocky or mountainous habitats, forming strongly territorial family groups of around 10-20 individuals. The less common and seldom observed tree hyrax is a nocturnal forest creature that announces its presence with an unforgettable and rather terrifying banshee wail!


Viewing tip: Normally shy, hyraxes can become very tame when they are used to people, as is the case in several lodges built around koppies in the Serengeti.


Top sites: Serengeti, particularly around Lobo, but also Ngorongoro (crater rim), Manyara, Kilimanjaro and Ruaha.