Karibu Tanzania

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Field guide

The wildlife of Tanzania

From the Big Five of the Serengeti to whale sharks off Mafia and monkeys found nowhere else on Earth. Find out what lives here, where to see it and when.

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Species profiled

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Found only here

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Showing 18 species in Mammals

African Lion
Big Five
VU

Big cats

African Lion

Panthera leo

The largest social cat, living in prides and ruling the Serengeti plains.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

Leopard
Big Five
VU

Big cats

Leopard

Panthera pardus

A solitary, powerful climber that hides its kills in trees.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

African Elephant
Big Five
EN

Elephants

African Elephant

Loxodonta africana

The largest land animal on Earth, living in family herds led by a matriarch.

Tarangire, Nyerere +7 more

African Buffalo
Big Five
NT

Bovids

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

A heavy, dangerous grazer that lives in herds of hundreds.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

Black Rhinoceros
Big Five
CR

Rhinos

Black Rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

A rare, shy browser and the most endangered of the Big Five.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti +1 more

Cheetah
VU

Big cats

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

The fastest land animal, hunting by day on open plains.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more

Masai Giraffe
EN

Ungulates

Masai Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

The tallest animal on Earth, and Tanzania's national animal.

Serengeti, Tarangire +7 more

LC

Antelopes

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

The star of the Great Migration, with more than a million animals on the move.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more

Spotted Hyena
LC

Carnivores

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

A clever, powerful clan hunter with a famous laugh-like call.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +5 more

Plains Zebra
NT

Ungulates

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

A striped grazer that leads the Great Migration alongside wildebeest.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Hippopotamus
VU

Ungulates

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

A huge, semi-aquatic grazer that spends the day in water and feeds at night.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Thomson's Gazelle
LC

Antelopes

Thomson's Gazelle

Eudorcas thomsonii

A small, fast antelope that flicks its tail as it grazes.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

Common Eland
LC

Antelopes

Common Eland

Taurotragus oryx

The largest antelope in Africa, a calm giant of the plains.

Lake Natron, Serengeti +2 more

Common Warthog
LC

Ungulates

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

A tusked, bristly grazer that trots away with its tail straight up.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Serval
LC

Small cats

Serval

Leptailurus serval

A slender, long-legged cat with huge ears and a leap that catches birds.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti +1 more

Bat-eared Fox
LC

Carnivores

Bat-eared Fox

Otocyon megalotis

A small fox with huge ears that listens for insects underground.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

Black-backed Jackal
LC

Carnivores

Black-backed Jackal

Lupulella mesomelas

A clever, opportunistic scavenger and hunter, often in pairs.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +4 more

Klipspringer
LC

Antelopes

Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

A small antelope that stands on the tips of its hooves on rocky outcrops.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

Conservation categories follow the IUCN Red List and can change as new assessments are published. Where and when you see a species depends on the season, the weather and luck: wildlife is wild, and we never promise a sighting.

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