Wildlife and conservation new, wild travel information and links for booking
The Pantanal is an incredibly wilderness, however, the Paraguay river is planned to be turned into a water way and build ports. I have included 2 videos for you to look at (depending on how much time you have). The video above is around 4 minutes, while the below is a full documentary 50 minutes.
Continue reading “Plans to turn the Pantanal into a waterway, will destroy this wilderness”
Both ostrich species Combined PaleoNeolithic photo credit Diego Delso&Ninara
Common Ostrich
Somali Ostrich
The common ostrich is found across a large part of the African Continent. Until 1919 there was a fourth subspecies of the common ostrich which was found across much of the Arabian Peninsular. It was completely extinct in the wild by 1972. They have now been reintroduced to Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and United Arab Emirates – though it is hard to find accurate figures for how many are found there now. (Do get in touch if you operate a reserve with these birds present, we would love to help people find you).
As you can see, the other African subspecies are still going.
The Somali Ostrich was only recognized as a separate species back in 2014, having been thought to be a subspecies until them.
A report to the IUCN in 2006 believed that this ostrich was common in central and southern Somalia until 1970-80. However, following the breakdown in the country, it is not surprising that conservation took back-stage, and it is questionable as to whether any remain (in the horn of africa).
In Kenya it is farmed for meat, feathers and eggs.
This is a map of the different Ostrich species and subspecies range
There is thought to be approximately 150,000 ostrich left in the wild. Having said this, like other large species, they are prone to local extinction. The best way to see these in the wild are to head to reserves where they still exist.
Unfortunately, they are not easy to look after – in smaller reserves with large predators, they can be hunted and face local extinction. As such, while there are other reserves where they hang on, the majority of their remaining population are split between big reserves like the Kruger and the Serengeti, and small reserves like the Cape point national park in South Africa (this reserve is only 77.5 square km, or around 30 square miles and was in the past a big 5 nature reserve. Now, only the cape leopard is present and this is very rarely seen.
If you wish to see the Ostrich look in our list of wild places. Kruger, Okavango and the Serengeti all have ostrich (in Kruger you need to look in the more sparsely area in the north of the park).
Long thought to be extinct in the country, one was caught, back in 2018. As a result, effort is being put into protecting this species. Farmland around the Serengeti erected electric fences in order to stop elephants from stealing their crops, however, unfortunately, they have been having an unintended consequence.
Pangolins need to be able to roam large distances, and they have been regularly being electrocuted. Unfortunately, they roll up in a ball, as a natural reaction to threat, and this has lead to many rolling up around the wire, thereby being electrocuted.
This discovery in 2018 was of a dead pangolin, and as a result, many farmers have changed how their electric fence works to help protect this creature.
There are only thought to be 30-80 pangolins left in the country, but by making these small changes, the few pangolins that remain will be able to thrive, and the population is likely to grow.
This is a pangolin sighting that was filmed on the Massai mara
The grey rheb
ok or grey rhebuck, locally known as the vaalribbok in Afrikaans, is native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland). The specific name capreolus is Latin for ‘little goat’. Generally confined to the higher areas of Southern Africa, they typically inhabit grassy, montane habitats – for example, sourveld – usually 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level, and carry a woolly grey coat to insulate them from the cold. They are not strictly limited to this habitat as they can be found in the coastal belt of the Cape, almost at sea level.
The grey rhebok is listed as “Near Threatened”, with a population of between 10,000-18,000
The HIrola ( also known as the Hunters hartebeest or hunters antelope) is a critically endangered species. It was named by H.C.V Hunter (a big game hunter and zoologist) in 1888. It is the only member of the genus Beatragus, and it currently has 300-500 individuals living in the wild (there are none in captivity).
It is a widely known fact, that should the Hirola be lost from the wild, it will be the last species in its genus, and therefore the first mammal genus to go extinct in Africa in the modern era. Locals have got behind this species, with 17 conservancies protecting much of the area. There are even efforts to make some of this area devoid of predators, so as to help this species bounce back faster. 
The Tsessebbe is part of a group of so called species, which are actually subspecies (there are 5 or 6 subspecies recognized
It is closest related to the Bangweulu Tsessebe, Less so, but still very close to the Topi, Korrigum, Coastal Topi and teh Tiang subspecies. Even the Bontebok is very closely related.
Found only in Southern Africa, its range includes South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia
There are 2 subspecies:
The Hartebeest – as 
many as 70 subspecies, local variants and similar have been suggested, however there is only one currently recognized species.
Overall, the species is listed as least concern with a population of around 360,000. The red hartebeest has a population of 130,000, but at the other end the Swaynes hartebeest in Ethiopia is only thought to number 800 in the wild. The Bulbul hartebeast (light blue) is extinct. The Lelwel Hartebeest(green) is considered endangered and has around 70,000 members. The western or Major hartebeest has around 36,000. What is clear, is that if you are travelling to an area where the local hartebeest is struggling, it would be we worth paying to see them, so as to give a value to them
common wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu.There has been five subspecies recognized:
C.t.taurinus (Burchell, 1823), the blue wildebeest, common wildebeest, or brindled gnu Inhabits the dark brown range
In addition, the distinctive appearance of a western form, ranging from the Kalahari to central Zambia, suggests that subspecies mattosi (Blaine, 1825) may also prove distinct from subspecies taurinus. The western form can be recognised even at a distance by its upright mane, long beard, and minimal brindling.
There are around 1.5 million of this species living in the wild – so they are not endangered. Having said this, given that 1.3 million (almost 90% of them live in the Serengeti ecosystem), were something to happen, we could be in a very different position..
The Black wildebeest
is the black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu is one of the two closely related wildebeest species. It was first described in 1780 by Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann. It came surprisingly close to extinction, having been hunted as a pest and for its meat and hide.
The current population is now thought to be around 18,000, though 7000 of this is in Namibia (outside their natural range) where they are farmed. Their conservation status is least concern
The addax , also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, is an antelope found in the Sahara Desert. The only member of the genus Addax, it was first described scientifically by Henri de Blainville in 1816. As suggested by its alternative name, the pale antelope has long, twisted horns – typically 55 to 80 cm in females and 70 to 85 cm in males. Males stand from 105 to 115 cm at the shoulder, with females at 95 to 110 cm. The females are smaller than the males (sexually diamorphic). The colour of the coat depends on the season – in the winter, it is greyish-brown with white hindquarters and legs, and long, brown hair on the head, neck, and shoulders; in the summer, the coat turns almost completely white or sandy blonde.
The addax mainly eats grasses and leaves of any available shrubs, leguminous herbs and bushes and can survive with no more water than that in the plants they eat for long periods of time. Addax form herds of 5to 20 members, consisting of both males and females, but they are led by the eldest female. Due to its slow movements, the addax is an easy target for its predators: humans, lions, leopards, cheetahs and African wild dogs. Breeding season is at its peak during winter and early spring. The natural habitat of the addax are arid regions, semideserts and sandy and stony deserts.
The addax is a critically endangered species of antelope, as classified by the IUCN (though the USFWS lists them as endangered, as the population is thought to have gone from under 100 to around 500 in the last few years) . Although extremely rare in its native habitat due to unregulated hunting, it is quite common in captivity. The addax was once abundant in North Africa; however it is currently only native to Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. It is extirpated from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Western Sahara, but has been reintroduced into Morocco and Tunisia. On the map, they green areas are where they still live, while the red represent places that they have been reintroduced
Known for its impressive back curving horns, the sable antelope is a large antelope which inhabits wooded savanna in East and Southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa, with a separated population in Angola.
There are 4 subspecies
In English “great sable antelope”, “sable” or the Swahili name mbarapi are sometimes used. An archaic term used in accounts of hunting expeditions in South Africa is “potaquaine”; the origin and exact application are unclear. Local names include swartwitpens (Afrikaans), kgama or phalafala (Sotho), mBarapi or palahala (Swahili), kukurugu, kwalat or kwalata (Tswana), ngwarati (Shona), iliza (Xhosa), impalampala (Zulu) and umtshwayeli (Ndebele).
The roan antelope is a large savanna-dwelling antelope found in western, central, and southern Africa. Named for its roan colour (a reddish brown), it has lighter underbellies, white eyebrows and cheeks and black faces, lighter in females. It has short, erect manes, very light beards and prominent red nostrils. It is one of the largest antelope, measuring 190–240 cm from head to the base of the tail, and a 37–48 cm long tail. Males weigh 242–300 kg and females 223–280 kg . Its shoulder height is around 130–140 cm.
It was first described by French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1803. It is listed as least concern by IUCN, while CITES places them on appendix 3 (I have been unable to find conservation of the subspecies, but these will be added if/ when I do.
Six subspecies are recognised:
The gemsbok or South African oryx, is a large antelope in the genus Oryx. It is endemic to the dry and barren regions of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and (parts of) Zimbabwe, mainly inhabiting the Kalahari and Namib Deserts, areas in which it is supremely adapted for survival. Previously, some sources classified the related East African oryx, or beisa oryx, as a subspecies.
The name gemsbok is from Afrikaans, which itself is from the Dutch word of the same spelling, meaning “male chamois”, composed of gems (“chamois”) + bok (“buck, male goat”).
It is on the Namibian coat of arms, as there are roughly 373,000 in the country. They are listed as least concern. Being a desert species, they are only found in South African reserves in the west, and are not found in the Kruger. The closely related East African Oryx lives (unsurprisingly) in east Africa.
The East African oryx inhabits eastern Africa. The East African oryx has two subspecies;
In the past, both were considered subspecies of the gemsbok. The East African oryx is an endangered species, with 11,000-13,000 mature individuals in the wild.
The scimitar oryx, also called the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), of North Africa used to be listed as extinct in the wild, but it is now declared as endangered. Unconfirmed surviving populations have been reported in central Niger and Chad, and a semi-wild population currently inhabiting a fenced nature reserve in Tunisia is being expanded for reintroduction to the wild in that country. Several thousand are held in captivity around the world.
There are currently around 2 million
Impala roaming across Africa. About one quarter of these live in protected areas in Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Around 1000 of the Black faced Impala live in the green area in the west of Africa.
In some reserves such as the Kruger, they are the most common antelope.
The Dama Gazelle is a small
antelope, species with a handful of small populations acros central and western north Africa. It lives in the Sahara and the Sahel desert.
In Niger, the Dama Gazelle has become a national symbol.
There are 3 subspecies, however the Mhorr gazell is extinct in the wild (though zoos have a number) , the dama gazelle is only kept in captivity one zoo and is very rare in the wild.
The species is critically endangered with only 100-200 left in the wild. Given that this small population is spread over a number of areas. The number of wild semi wild and captive is around 2900, so it is just the need to save the species in the wild which is the current problem.
There are currently around 35,000-40,000 dorcas gazelle roaming across the whole of north Africa (though given this large range they are not particularly numerous in any location). It is unclear how many of these live in protected areas. Some whole countries like Sudan still have these animals but no reserves. in Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara. There are 7 subspecies-
The gerenuk is an odd species, which in appearance looks like a cross between an impala and a giraffe. They increase this effect, by standing on their hind legs while they eat. A herd, eating in this way is quite a weird sight.They are currently classed as not threatened, and have a wild population of around 95000.
Two subspecies are recognized:
There are currently around 140,000-300,000 Grant’s gazelle roaming through parts of East Africa and in places like the Serengeti are a common sight. It is unclear how many of these live in protected areas. They can be found from southern Sudan and Ethiopia to central Tanzania and from the coast of Kenya and Somalia to Lake Victoria. They are currently classed as unthreatened. There are 3 subspecies-
The gerenuk is an odd species, which in appearance looks like a cross between an impala and a giraffe. They increase this effect, by standing on their hind legs while they eat. A herd, eating in this way is quite a weird sight.They are currently classed as not threatened, and have a wild population of around 95000.
Two subspecies are recognized:
The red-fronted Gazelle is found in a wide but uneven band across the middle of Africa from Senegal to north-eastern Ethiopia. It mainly lives in the Sahel zone, a narrow cross-Africa band south of the Sahara, where it prefers arid grasslands, wooded savannas and shrubby steppes. There are some people who consider the more famous Thompson gazelle of east Africa a subspecies of the red-fronted Gazelle.
Also known as the Rhim gazelle, African sand gazelle or Loder’s gazelle while its name in Tunisia and Egypt means white gazelle, it is pale and well suited to the desert, however there are only 2500 of them left in the wild. Widely found, they have populations across They are found in Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, and possibly Chad, Mali, Niger, and Sudan (this can be seen on the map opposite).
The split between the two subspecies is not well defined. It should be noted that the red list states that there is more than 250 but it may be not that far above. One or both of these subspecies may well be incredibly close to extinction. It should be noted, that even a population of just 250 in the two subspecies, should these two subspecies be in one population each, it could well recover relatively fast.
It is hard to see this species surviving long-term unless poaching stops and perhaps even requiring the amalgamation of all the populations of each subspecies (indeed, we may well be beyond the sensible attempt to save each subspecies and but to merely concentrate on saving the species as a whole.
Also known as the Abyssinian mohr, it is a gazelle species native to the Horn of Africa which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan (possibly no longer present here). The species was first described by German physician Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar in 1828. Three subspecies are recognized, which include
They are classed as vulnerable with a wild population of roughly 6000-7500 with the largest single population being on Dahlak Kebir which is part of Eritrea (this country is estimated to have a population of 3000-4000 (between 40-65% of the worlds population. It has been classed as vulnerable to extinction since 1986, however I would argue that its future survival is probably less good than that sounds. Being largely a desert species, it might be hard to see, but there will still be places where it is found, and as always, a visit should help give the live species more local value.
The Speke’s gazelle is the smallest gazelle and is found in the horn of Africa (Somalia and Ethiopia – though hunted to extinction in Ethiopia). They number roughly in the low 10,000s. Unfortunately having been hunted to extinction in Ethiopia, its one remaining home is a war zone, which does not give us reassurance that it will survive into the future. While the population has increased in recent times, the animal has recently been upgraded from vulnerable to endangered. It takes its name from John Hanning Speke, who was an English explorer in central Africa. It is similar to the Dorcas gazelle, and it has been considered a subspecies at times.
At the current time, there is no reserve within the Speke’s gazelles range, making it hard to see them (this is largely as a result of their remaining reserve likely being exclusively found in Somalia, where war has raged for a very long time.
The common name “springbok”, first recorded in 1775, comes from the Afrikaans words spring (“jump”) and bok (“antelope” or “goat”). It is only found in South Africa and the south west (including Namibia and southern Botswana and parts of Angola)
Three subspecies recognized
There are 2,000,000-2,500,000 remaining in the wild.
Approximately 550,000 Thompson gazelles remain in the wild, with the largest population being found in the Serengeti Mara ecosystem. Named after Joseph Thompson an explorer, some consider it a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle.It is the fourth fastest land animal, after cheetah (its main predator) springbok and pronghorn, and can hit speeds of 80-90km per hour.
Two subspecies are identified:
Also known as the Clarkes gazelle, it is another species restricted to Ethiopia and Somalia. It is not a true gazelle, though it does still have markings on its legs similar to the gazelles. They are classed as vulnerable, with their biggest threat being poaching.
No reserves protects any of this population. The population is definitely under 10000 and probably under 4000. Their range is also restricted to a 100km by 100km area.
The dibatag is endemic to the evergreen bushland of the Ogaden region of southeastern Ethiopia and adjoining parts in northern and central Somalia. In the past their range extended from the southern parts of northern Somalia through southeastern Ethiopia and central Somalia (between the coastline of the Indian Ocean and bounded by the Fafen River in the west and the Shebelle River in the southwest). Rock paintings of two dibatag were discovered on the west bank of the river Nile and north of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, suggesting a southward migration of the species in the Predynastic period in Egypt.
Also known as the pygmy antelope, and the dwarf antelope, it is classed as least concern, and is considered fairly common (a precise estimate is not available).
While the species is suffering from habitat loss which means that their future is not necessarily good. In general, they are able to adapt to secondary forest, plantations, roadside verges and village gardens. Although not hunted commercially, this antelope is hunted for bushmeat in limited numbers.
Living in the arid regions of the horn of Africa, this species is classed as vulnerable. Unfortunately, as with other species living in this region, there is little protected land, so this situation may get worse in the near future.
As with others on this list means that while grazing is the normal, they will to browse where it is necessary.
Only found along the extreme southern coast of South Africa, the Cap Grysbok is classed as least concern with a population that is unknown, but is estimated at an upper level of over 200,000, and so it is listed as least concern.
Guenthers dikdik is another species only found within the horn of Africa and some areas around here. It is classed as least concern, and while there has been 4 subspecies suggested based on looks, no-one has yet looked in more detail to see if this is correct.
The species is found in the lowlands of Ethiopia, most of the northern and eastern regions of Kenya, Somalia excluding specific regions of the coast, limited regions of southeastern Sudan, and north-eastern Uganda. They avoid coastal regions. Typical habitat includes low thicket-type vegetation in thornbush, savanna grassland and riverine woodland biomes, and extends to disturbed and overgrazed areas. Habitat overlaps with other small antelope species such as Kirk’s dik-dik (a similar species which I have encountered in Kenya).
There are a number of protected areas within its range, meaning that its future is more secure than other species that share at least part of its range. The population is estimated at roughly 511,000 individuals.
The Kirks dik-dik has two areas of habitat, oddly split, suggesting that at one point their range may have been far larger.
They are classed as least concern, suggesting that at the current time, they are doing well. I have seen these in northern Kenya, and they have an adorable habit of traveling around in pairs. So strong is their bond, that if one leaps out into the road, it is well worth breaking hard, as the other one is highly likely to follow shortly after. They can live in relatively high densities, though changes in predator can make large differences fast. A small reserve I stayed on in northern Kenya, had had a wild dog pack move onto the land. In one year, they had reduced the number of dik-diks by roughly half.
The overall population of this species is thought to be around 971,000.
The klipspringer has a large range, being found across a large range of Africa. In places like the Kruger, virtually ever outcrop of rock has a pair of klipspringers. They are able to stand on particularly steep rocks, which allows them to get away from predators. This is important, as when there are not large enough trees available, leopards will often live in similar places.
It is closely related to the kirks dikdik (above) and the Oribi (below). Mainly active at night, it spends its days resting. It is mainly a browser, feeding on young plants fruits and flowers. They are classed as least concern, and as much of their population is in relatively unfavourable land, rarely hunted. In 2008, an assessment suggested that only 25% of the population live within protected areas. This means that although currently not remotely threatened, this would be an easy species for this to change.
Their population is estimated at around 40,000, though given the large area in which these are found, their distribution is likely to be sparse at best. Finding them, in an area where we know they are, however, is not normally hard – certainly in places like the Kruger they are a relatively easy find.
Given the holes in this species range, it is reasonable to suppose that historically there were more of this species, but if there were, it is likely quite some time ago.
A small antelope, though found across a wide range of habitats. They are secretive, and as such are generally seen far less often than their population would suggest. They are rarely seen in the Kruger, but overall are not doing badly.
Their wild population is estimated at 750,000 so are listed as least concern, but this is only an estimate, and they are thought to be declining.
This is officially classed as the worlds smallest antelope, standing only 25cm tall at the shoulder, and weighing 2.5kg
Usually active at night, it marks its territory with dung, and is very alert. An herbivore, the royal antelope prefers small quantities of fresh foliage and shoots; fruits and fungi may be taken occasionally. Like other neotragines, the royal antelope is monogamous (capable of having young as early as 6 months old). Births have been reported in November and December. A single, delicate young is born after an unknown gestational period.
In 1999, its population was estimated at 62,000, but this could be an underestimate.
This species is found in the area marked on the map.
5 subspecies are recognized
The Sharpe’s Grysbok, is another small antelope that is found in the east of southern Africa (its most southerly point is the northern Kruger. As a small species, however, it is another antelope that can regularly pass without notice.
It has an estimated 95,000 individuals in the wild and is listed as least concern. Around 1/3 of the population lives within protected ares.
The steenbok (also known as steinbuck or steinbok) is a small species of antelope found in the southern and eastern Africa. Its closest relatives are the dik-diks and gazelles.
There are 650,000 estimated to still live in the wild, and they are classified as least concern.
On the map, you can see where this species is found, however this is also a list of countries where you can find this species. In East Africa, it occurs in central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. It was formerly widespread in Uganda, but is now almost certainly extinct there. In Southern Africa, it occurs in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and probably Lesotho. There are 2 subspecies recognized (though as many as 24 have been suggested based on colouring and similar)
Found in dense thickets along the southeastern coast of Somalia and in Acacia-Commiphora bushland in the Shebelle Valley in southeastern Ethiopia, it is listed as data deficient (not surprising given where it originates. It is unfortunately a fact, however, that the majority of species which are found in this area, are in a desperate state. It is true that for many species they do better, when no-one is paying any attention. For instance, the mountain gorilla population grew enormously during the war, as there was to much danger to poach them, although there was also no tourism revenue coming in.
While its weight and size is similar to a domestic cat, While the last estimate was in 1999, with the population put at 30,000, the range has been expanded since (though unfortunately the 30,000 is still probably am over estimate 25 years ago. The likelyhood of this species population growing in this time, is low.
The Suni is a small species of antelope found from Kenya down to northern South Africa (it is also found on Zanzibar which is off the coast of Tanzania).
The Suni is listed as least concern, and the last time a population estimate was made (1999), they came up with a number of 365,000, a sizeable number (though given the range of this animal, it is not a huge number).
There are 4 subspecies (though some claim these as 4 separate species)
This species population has definitely been reduced by poaching, though they are still abundant. In South Africa, many are killed by dogs.
Known as Minde in Swahili is a large forest duiker found in a few small areas of Tanzania (Abbott’s duiker is endemic to Tanzania, in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Southern Highlands in scattered populations.). There has been some debate about whether this is a separate species or whether it is a subspecies of the yellow-backed duiker. It should be noted that it is only rarely seen, and was only first photographed in 2003.
They are estimated to have 1500 individuals in the wild, but are threatened by habitat destruction and poaching.
Also known as Nunga, and is found in Kenya and on the island of Zanzibar. It may be a subspecies of the red, Harvey’s, or Peters’s duiker or a hybrid of a combination of these – but is named after W Mansfield Aders – a zoologist with the Zanzibar government service. It is small, only standing 30cm at the shoulder, and weigh between 75.-12kg (the heaviest is in Zanzibar).
The Zanzibar population dropped from 5000-640 between 1983 and 1999, and is estimated to be as low as 300 now (or as high as 600 – the estimates have wide ranges).
The bay duiker has a distribution across central and western Africa, and is restricted to areas of rainforest. Also known as the black striped duiker or the black backed duiker. For this duiker family, they are relatively tall, standing at 45-50cm at the shoulder, and weigh 18-23kg.
It is nocturnal and either solitary or living in pairs. Its natural main predator is the leopard, it has been historically over harvested for the bushmeat trade, and loss of habitat for both agriculture and housing has affected it. Never-the-less, its population is still listed as near threatened. Given its ability to sustain despite large quantities of hunting from both humans and leopards, its greatest threat is the loss of the Congo rainforest (unfortunately the greatest threat for many species).
The black duiker is another species found in the rainforests of west Africa. It is estimated that there are 100,000 of this species in the wild, though how much faith can be placed in this number, is I think an important question. Standing roughly 50cm tall, and weighing 15-20kg.
Black duikers live mainly in lowland rainforest, where they eat fruit, flowers, and leaves which have fallen from the canopy. They are probably diurnal (active during the day), though this has only been worked out from captive specimens (an unreliable system, as many animals have different habits in the wild to in captivity. Black duiker are reported to be solitary, territorial animals. While most young are born between November and January, mating can occur any time of year, and pregnancy lasts roughly 4 months.
Lifespan is not clear in the wild, but in captivity they can live 14 years.
The black-fronted duiker is found in central and west-central Africa, with an isolated population in the Niger Delta in eastern Nigeria and then from southern Cameroon east to western Kenya and south to northern Angola, and occurs in montane, lowland, and swamp forests, from near sea level up to an altitude of 3,500m. It is frequently recorded in wetter areas such as marshes or on the margins of rivers or streams. The black-fronted duiker is territorial and monogamous, each pair owning a territory that it defends against neighbours and is marked using the secretions of the facial glands. The pair have habitual paths within their territory that connect sleeping sites with feeding areas and allow them to be active during both day and night. They are mainly browsers but will also feed on fruit. The currently recognised subspecies are:
The blue duiker is found in a wide range of habitats. While much of its range falls in countries like the Democratic republic of the Congo (and thereby makes the blue duiker a rainforest species) they also live in large parts of eastern Tanzania, and places like South Africa where there is no rainforest. The habitat consists of a variety of forests, including old-growth, secondary, and gallery forests.
It is currently listed as least concern, but is quite a common source of bushmeat, and as such it is under threat from local extinction. As you can see from the map, its range is quite patchy – while this is partly a result of where woodland is found, it is also likely a result of local extinction.
It is listed as least concern, and is thought to have around 7 million left in the wild.
Also known as the common or bush duiker. It is found throughout almost all of Africa, south of the Sahara.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Common duiker population size is around 1,660,000 individuals, however, other research has suggested that the total population size of this species is approximately 10 million individuals. This is obviously a far too wide range to have.
I would argue that the population is likely nearer the higher end. If it is not, this species should no longer be listed as common, given species like the blue duiker would be far more common.
Given its wide range, there are many reserves to see this species. I have seen this species in Kruger national park.
The Harvey’s red duiker is found in Tanzania and scattered through Kenya, southern Somalia and possibly central Ethiopia. They stand roughly 40cm tall and weigh around 15kg. They are mostly chestnut coloured, but has black legs.
Harvey’s duikers live in mountain and lowland forest, where they eat leaves, twigs, fruit, insects, birds eggs, and carrion. Although this duiker is not endangered, it is dependent on protected forestland. As of 2008, this species is of least concern. Total population is roughly 20,000. It is classed as least concern, which suggests that 20,000 is close to the original population size, from where it is found.
Jentink’s duiker also known as gidi-gidi in Krio and kaikulowulei in Mende, is a forest-dwelling duiker found in the southern parts of Liberia, southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, and scattered enclaves in Sierra Leone. It is named in honor of Fredericus Anna Jentink.
Recent population numbers are not available. In 1999 it was estimated that around 3,500 Jentink’s duikers remained in the wild, but the following year others suggested less than 2,000 were likely to remain, unfortunately another estimate has not been made in the 25 years since. It is likely that the population did not drop 1500 in a year, but was over counted the first time. Either way this is a small population, but if the drop was that fast, it would be worse than it is currently thought. They are threatened primarily by habitat destruction and commercial bushmeat hunters. They are classed as endangered, but clearly need more information, and I would argue that are more naturally falling into the class of data deficient.
A small antelope found in west Africa, first described in 1827 by Charles Hamilton-Smith, it shares a genus with the blue duiker and the Walters duiker
Three subspecies are identified:
Also known as Red forest duiker (as well as other mixes of these words), is very similar to the common duiker. It is very similar to the common duiker with though with a redder coat.
The last estimate of the population was in 1999, when it was estimated at 42,000.
They are also listed as least concern
The two former subspecies, the white-legged duiker Cephalophus crusalbum and the Brooke’s duiker Cephalophus brookei, are considered as distinct species since 2011.
Measuring 56cm at the shoulder and weighing up to 20kg, they mainly live mainly in high-altitude rainforests, where they feed mainly on fallen fruit.
They are estimated at 12,000 and are listed as least concern
The Peters duiker is a species found in a region of west African rainforest (see map) living in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, southern Cameroon, and northern Republic of the Congo. It weighs 18kg and measures 50cm at the shoulder.
There are an estimated 380,000 in the wild and is declining.
Measuring 34-37cm tall and 12-14kg, this small species of antelope. They are classed as least concern and have a large range with around 170,000 living in the wild. It has often done well out of deforestation, as it has often expanded its range during these times.
This species range is shown on the map , and is found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, while it is likely to have been extirpated in Uganda.
They are classed as not threatened, and have more than 250,000 in the wild.
The yellow-backed duiker has a wide range of places it is found (ranging from Senegal and Gambia on the western coast, through to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to western Uganda; their distribution continues southward into Rwanda, Burundi, and most of Zambia).
They are classed as near threatened, with 160,000
Four subspecies are recognized:
The zebra duiker is a small antelope found primarily in Liberia, as well as the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and occasionally Guinea. They are sometimes referred to as the banded duiker or striped-back duiker. It is believed to be one of the earliest duiker species to have evolved.
Its wild population is estimated at 28,000 and is classed as vulnerable
They are predated on by a range of species including leopards, African golden cats, rock pythons, and the crowned eagle. They are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN due to deforestation, loss of habitat, and overhunting within its range (bush meat).
Measuring 40cm at the shoulder and weighing 4-6kg it was initially described from a bush-meat specimens in 2010 from Togo. It was not seen in the wild until 2021 when it was caught on camera trap. The are believed to come from the Dahomey Gap, an area of savannah which is a portion of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic with a relatively dry climate, that extends all the way to the coast in Benin, Togo and Ghana, separating the rainforest zones on either side.
Understandably however, they are classed as data deficient. There is a big concern at the current time, with so little information, that they may get pushed to extinction without fully understanding where they are or what they need in order to survive in the wild.
Having only been photographed once in the wild, there are no animals in zoos, and so should they be lost from the wild, they will be gone for good.
Found across much of southern
and eastern Africa, they are relatively small (similar size to a red fox) and for the most part are scavengers, though when they have to, they can be successful hunters in their own rights.
If you spend more than a few days in the wildernesses in either country, you are likely to encounter black backed jackals.
In the Drakensburg mountains of South africa, they have been recorded at a density of 2-3 per square km, while in the Serengeti, they are found at densities of 50-80 per 100 square km.
They are far from endangered, but not the easiest animal to spot.
We aim to list some places where this is an easy animal to see, at the bottom of the page
Pangolins are bizarre animals!
How many of you knew about a pangolin? How many of you...
Lions- often referred to as ‘The king of the jungle’ (odd as they are rarely found in the jungle) are usually one of the animals visitors want to see if not the main one.
They are very impressive and it is understandable why they are popular. No other predator dares lie out dozing in the open plains all day.
However over the last few decades, lion declines have been horrific, with declines of more than 2/3 since the 1960s.
Lion conservation is important, because to have a thriving lion population, you need a very large protected area, and an intact ecosystem- so all the other animals benefit. I have used a large variety of sources to compile this, but one study of great interest is “Lion conservation in West and Central Africa” by Hans Bauer, published in 2003. In 1996 the estimate for the lion population in Africa was thought to be between 30,000 and 100,000, however the IUCN African Lion Working Group suggested a more realistic number was 18,000-27,000. They also suggested, that of 38 reserves and parks across these regions that used to have lions, they are definitely lost from 23.
The Asiatic lion is different; Its only current home in Asia, is the Gir forests of western India. However, something that many people do not know is that the Asiatic lion population of Gir is a tiny relict of possibly the largest spread lion subspecies. The Asiatic lion still exists in Africa – the western and northern lion population are very closely related to the Asiatic lion and are thought to have last naturally interbred a few centuries ago. Importantly, they are still so genetically similar that they are not different sub species. This is important, as it means that only just over half of the Asiatic lions live in and around Gir, the rest live in Africa. I hope to add many more destinations over time. If you run safari lodge or camp or tours please do get in touch through the above link “list your wild place”. We are keen to list as many of the places to see wild lions as possible.
It should be noted, that in historic times the Asiatic lion population spread as far as Spain, though the last ones were likely lost around the time of Jesus. Asiatic lions survived in the Caucuses for far longer, surviving until around the end of the first millennium (1000AD). Ecologically, the conditions of Southern and Eastern Europe have not changed much in the last millennium. However, until a significant change in human habitation, there is no space for lions to return to this area.
Current estimates suggest that at most there are 20,000 lions in Africa (Some suggest 20,000-25,000, though LionAid did a thorough assessment of the lions on the continent in 2020 and came up with just 9200). If this lower number is correct, then there is no longer more than 10,000 wild lions in the world. Having said that, below is the 5 largest populations, which are relatively well known, and these add up to above that number. Time will tell.
As keystone species, and apex predators, lions are incredibly important, as such it is a species that is followed closely on this website. On each tab, you will find a list of articles about that species. Find below a list of articles on lions, below that is links to places we list where you can see lion. Please note, tab 2 and 3 refer to two separate populations of the Asiatic subspecies if only recently confirmed through genetic testing.
As you can see from the map above, the name African lion is not particularly accurate, given that half of Africa was inhabited by the Asian Lion. Still, even taking into account this number of African lions which belong to the Asiatic lion subspecies, still the population of African lion subspecies account for the majority of lions left in the world. It should be noted, that while Tanzania is still claiming a lion population of 14,000-15,000 Lionaid survey in 2020 claimed around 9600 in the world, so someone is definitely wrong. The image at the top of the page is an African Lion.
It is unfortunately a fact, that many of the small lion populations have not survived over the last 20 years. Small reserves across Africa, once had no fencing, allowing the wildlife, including Lions to migrate as prey densities would support. However, as the human population has grown, these small reserves have become islands of wilderness, in a sea of humanity. Many of these small islands of wilderness have lost their lions. IUCN estimated a population of 23000-39000 lions in Africa in while an Oxford university estimate suggested 20000-25000 in 2023. It should be noted that the numbers I have quoted for each country, comes from this website. Given the most thorough assessments suggest a lower number, some of these should be taken with a pinch of salt, however, I am going to use these numbers until I get more reliable ones to replaces them
Over time, I hope that the destinations that we list on this site will grow fast, but for now we list the large lion ecosystems- hopefully with a few more coming soon. You will find more detail and when there is a link, within each countries tab below.
1. Kruger national park, and the greater Limpopo 2500
2. Serengeti and surrounding reserves 3000
3. Kalahari Zambezi 1500 (though with the size of this
reserve, there is space for much growth)
4. Selous (Nyerere national pakr 4000-5000 though as most of this vast reserve is set aside for hunting, much if it is unavailable to photographic safari (latest survey suggests 4300)
5. Ruaha national park (Tanzania) 4000
This accounts for around anything from 40% up to 64% (it is likely to be at the top end of this estimate as this includes the biggest lion populations of Africa) on the lions of african depending on which estimate you trust. Indeed, given Lionaids estinate, it accounts for as much as 167%. We hope to add other populations in the coming years.
While it is undeniable that the lion populations in the East and South of the continent have reduced, there would have to have been a significant population in west and north of the continent as well. While, clearly, much of this space has been lost to human expansion, there is still much space for a great increase in this population, whether it ever gets a chance to grow is something we will have to wait and see.
Known as Panthera Leo Leo, the Asiatic Lion is more complicated than once thought. Historically found throughout North, West and Central Africa, Large parts of Asia as well as throughout Southern Europe. Different parts of this huge area have been lost at different times. Oddly despite this, it appeared to be officially forgotten for some time, so that only recently it was demonstrated genetically that the West African lion and the Central African lion are the subspecies as the Asiatic lion, and as such there ar
e actually more Asiatic lions in Africa. As such, the Asiatic lion is split into 3 clades. Which will be handled separately.
So here, the west African Lion clade:
1. W-Arly-Pendjari Transfrontier park was estimated to hold 250-500 members (it should be noted that it is likely close the botto at the current time)
2. Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba national park formerly a stronghold, the number of lions as low as 30 at the moment (down from as high as as 120 in 1996)
3. Waza national park, Cameroon is was thought to host 14-21 lions in 2010, I dont know what has happened since
4. Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria is thought to host around 30, while Yankara may only have 5 left.
5. Bénoué ecosystem: (Faro, Bénoué and Bouba-Ndjidda national parks as well as 32 hunting areas, covering 30,000 square km) contains 250 lions
Are these over-estimates? A significant number of sources claim just 250 in the world, though others suggest around 400. Having said that, should we assume the minimum population for the WAP complex and Benoue estimate being accurate (studies are recent and thorough) this gets us to to over 400 already.
What is unfortunate though is the populations in the other 3 reserves.
Having said that, back around 1900 there was only an estimated 20 lions left in India, so a similar recovery could give each of these reserves a 400 population in 50 or so years. I would estimate given the reliability of these numbers that at the time of the study in 2020 the total population numbered around 800. though even half of this would be enough for a recovery over a relatively short term.
The western and the central lion population was (relatively recently) far larger. 1900 it is thought that there may have been as many as 200,000. Even as recently as 1970 there were thought to have been 90,000.
Unfortunately, at the current time, I have no links in these place – but would love to, please get in touch if you work in one of these reserves, we would love to help people find you.
A lioness has been spotted in a reserve in Chad, which has not recorded one since 2004!
There is an impressive wealth of cats living in India. From the Indian tiger (known throughout the...
Lions are amazing animals to encounter while you are on holiday. They are fascinating animals and given their ability to hunt they hold a certain danger which...
Pangolins are bizarre animals!
How many of you knew about a pangolin? How many of you...
Known as Panthera Leo Leo, the Asiatic Lion is more complicated than once thought. Historically found throughout North, West and Central Africa, Large parts of Asia as well as throughout Southern Europe. Different parts of this huge area have been lost at different times. Oddly despite this, it appeared to be officially forgotten for some time, so that only recently it was demonstrated genetically that the West African lion and the Central African lion are the subspecies as the Asiatic lion, and as such there are actually more Asiatic lions in Africa. As such, the Asiatic lion is split into 3 clades. Which will be handled separately.
So the central African lion is thought to have a population of around 2200 (as of 2015-2016): I have not been able to calculate a proper number for this, I hope to have more information in the future.
Known as Panthera Leo Leo, the Asiatic Lion is more complicated than once thought. Historically found throughout North, West and Central Africa, Large parts of Asia as well as throughout Southern Europe. Different parts of this huge area have been lost at different times. Oddly despite this, it appeared to be officially forgotten for some time, so that only recently it was demonstrated genetically that the West African lion and the Central African lion are the subspecies as the Asiatic lion, and as such there are actually more Asiatic lions in Africa. As such, the Asiatic lion is split into 3 clades. Which will be handled separately.
So the North African and Asiatic clade: The north African lion, otherwise known as the Barbary lion, was lost some time ago (the last one was shot in 1942). However, there has been much discussion about reintroducing them to Morocco, for some time. It could well be done in the near future.
The rest of this clade (remembering that the West and Central African lions are the same subspecies as this) are found in the Gir forests of India. This population is thought to be as high as 600, though deaths have been particularly high for a significant period of time. This population only currently has one protected home, from which the lions are overflowing- the Gir forest. The forest is home to as many as 600 lions, though only covering 1400 square km (545 miles) the best reserves in Africa have roughly 1 lion per every 5 square miles. Many of these lions live outside, with as many as 200 having made their home by the sea, a great distance form the park.
Scientists have long argued that some of the lions should be moved to another reserve as having all of them in one place leaves the entire clade vulnerable to natural disasters or indeed an epidemic. Indeed, it has gone all the way to the high court in India, but the Chief minister of Gujarat has simply refused to enforce the order (he does not want to loose the status of housing the only wild Asiatic lion (at least the Asiatic clade). There was much effort to give the Indian lions a second home, but the government saw them as their property and refused to allow any to be moved. The proposed home was set up for them – the Kuno reserve, with a number of villages moved to accommodate them. The Gujarat government has suggested all sorts of reasons to refuse, including that the reserve is unacceptable – despite being almost identical to Gir.
Kuno is now the home of the cheetah reintroduction (not that this should rule it out, as they lived alongside each other in the past, and from where they have been moved). Never-the-less, Gujurat has refused to budge even having lost the case in the supreme court.
It seems absurd that something this important can be held up because of politics but there we are. There are plans to move 40 lions to Barda wildlife sanctuary, which would at least give a second home. However, given the Asiatic Lions historical range covering such a vast area, the idea that one state in India could block translocations to anywhere else is quite scary.
Never-the less, it is still a fascinating place to visit.
Formerly around 1000, currently the number of lions in the country is probably only between 10 and 30
Angola has had its lion population fallen dangerously in the last couple of decades. A 2020 ground survey in Angola’s largest areas has an estimated 30 lions. Similarly, the Panthera Foundation estimated 10-30 lions in the country. However, previous estimates were much higher (for the same area). The IUCN estimated a population of 750–1,000 lions in 2006, while Duke University estimated 1,900 lions (in 2013). A 2021 survey found no lions, though a 2021 camera trap survey, photographed 5 lions. This area in question is Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga National Parks. What is terrifying, is that this decline appears to have occurred in just 12 years. It should be noted, that these two national parks are small sections of the Kalahari Zambezi transfrontier park – should the protection improve, there is clearly space for an impressive wilderness. On the other hand, given the current situation, we could find that any lions that cross into Angola get poached, and therefore it will be bad for the lions of the KAZA and Africa as a whole (the whole of the KAZA has a population of roughly 3500).
Looking at the map of Lion range, there are small specks of lion north of these parks in question. Unfortunately, current feelings is that these lion populations no longer have any lions (of course, whether these reserves might one day be a good place to translocate lions, is another question) .
Currently estimated at 250 lions in the country.
Burkina Faso has a total of 4 national parks as well as 2 well known reserves (amongst many more, often smaller). I hope to cover all, in the future. However, here only those with lions are of interest. There may be more than listed below, but these will be added in the future as I become aware of them.
Arli National Park: is perhaps the jewel on the crown for this country. It is the Brukina Faso section of the WAP complex which is an area of . It also includes the Singou Reserve, also within Burkina Faso (one of just 3 “complete” reserevs which is a specific class). The WAP complex covers over 17,000 square km (6500 square miles, around 1000 square miles than the world famous Kruger national park, so large enough to protect its wildlife long-term). The WAP complex is an incredibly important reserve for a whole variety of wildlife. Its own numbers claim 246-466 west African lions (many sources claim this population is only 250 mature individuals left, while ranges usually put the population between 120 and 374). Wherever this population number lies, it is suggested that 80-90% of the remaining west African lion population are within this reserve. It should be noted that this is a clade of the Asiatic lion subspecies, and this population could possibly be a similar size to those living within Gir forest national park in India (though it should be remembered that many lions live outside this national park as well – this will be covered in the India tab). This makes this reserve an important reserve for lions as a whole, and the western/central African Lion clades of the Asiatic lion in particular. When a page for the Arli national park, and the WAP complex in general is added, this will be linked from this text.
Benin has an estimated 120 lions, mostly found within Pendjari National Park (part of the WAP complex). This national park is currently thought to host around 70-100 wild lions, though it is thought that its carrying caacity is 400-500, so with better management, this park could allow a siginfican recovery in lions within this country. The W national park borders this park, also within Benin, and it is likely that the lions move pretty freely between the parks.
It should be noted that these lions roam outside the park, and regularly kill local peoples cattle. As such, there should be significant concern about retaliatory killing reducing this number. While there may well be another reserve or national park with wild lions, I have not found reference to it. The remaining 30-50 lions may well be free roaming in the area around Pendjari national park. I hope to add more information in the future
The countries lion population is estimated at 100 (see here), however estimates of the number of lions in Cameroon do vary, with the numbers below adding up to roughly 330.
As with many other countries on this list, it would appear that Cameroon has enough land set aside for wildlife, to support a far larger population of lions. Whether poaching has depressed these numbers or other more natural forces, it suggests that the Cameroon lion population has the capacity to bounce back in a way that most Southern African populations do not. While I hope to be able to assist your travel to these places in the future, I have no links at the current time. Having said this, a visit to Cameroon, to see their lions is likely to have a greater impact on their conservation than perhaps a better known lion destination.
The central African republic has an estimated 50 lions remaining, with 30 residing in the Chinko Nature Reserve.
Other reserves claiming wild lions in the country (population estimates have to be taken with a large pinch of salt, as various reserves claim healthy lion population, which would dwarf the whole country population – still, I hope to add these destinations in the future) include:
Chad is thought to have a wild lion population of roughly 200.
Sena Oura national park was in the news in the recent past, for a lion being seen for the first time in 20 years (click here to read our article on this news from the time).
Zakouma National Park is home to popular predators including a more significant lion population, as well as hyenas and leopard, but also large herds of central African savannah buffalo, elephant, and endemic species such as the pale fox and the kordofan giraffe.
Lions are present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but their population is threatened by human activities. There population is down to 211 from around 1600 in the 1970s. There is definitely space for this population to grow – but these are the current known lion habitats
The Ishasha River valley is a good place to see lions, hippos, elephants, and buffalo. However, the population of lions in the valley has been reduced by poaching, land invasion, and conflict. The lions in this area are known for their tree-climbing habits.
In the 1990s, this park was considered a lion stronghold, but by 2014, no lions were recorded there, making the population locally extinct.
There is physical evidence of lions in this reserve, but there is no estimate of the population density or distribution.
Formerly widespread across northern Nigeria, today lions survive in only two sites in the country: Kainji Lake National Park (thought to have a lion population of roughly 30 (as of 2021) alongside various species including African wild dog, elephant, leopard and various antelope) and Yankari Game Reserve (thought to have between 8 and 10 wild lions, alongside African bush elephant, olive baboon, patas monkey, Tantalus monkey, roan antelope, hartebeest, lion, African buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and hippopotamus (there is a youtube video of a group of researchers looking for these last lions in the Yankari game reserve, unfortunately it is from a channel which does not allow videos inserted into other websites, so click here to follow the link
This suggests a lion population of Nigeria of around 40. Nigeria has a large and growing population, and there has been a great deal of destruction of the natural world within the country. Having said this, there is still much hope, and many people who are eager to protect the natural world, both for its own intrinsic value, but also for the tourism money that thriving ecosystems can generate.
The population of Lions in Niger (150 or there abouts) is thought to be restricted to its section of the WAP complex, which is a transboundary area, including land in Benin and Burkina Faso and is perhaps the last good hope for the west African lion – around 80-90% of the western lion population live within this protected area. While the other countries have a separate national park, protecting an area of land, Niger only has part of a single park (W national park) which stretches across the borders of all 3 countries).
It is unclear how many lions live within this national park, though it is definitely greater than 8 as there is currently a study that is following 8. Given that W national park contains around 1 third of the land in the WAP complex, so it should hold around 150 lions within it.
Whether the land is currently capable of supporting this number is questionable. It should be noted that the WAP complex is roughly twice the size of the Kruger national park, suggesting that the entire area might be able to support around twice the lion population of the Kruger – this is roughly 3000 lions. Now, it is quite possible that this area is drier, and therefore has a lower carrying capacity, but this gives space for a large increase in the lions within the WAP complex. It should be noted, that this might well be an over estimated, as some of the WAP complex is hunting areas, and while they will not hunt many (if any) lions with in these, hunting prey will also reduce the number of lions that these areas can support. If this was accurate, one could expect a lion population of W national park in Niger, of around 2000. While we are a long way from this, it suggests that with better conservation, Niger could have a lion population that would give it the sixth largest population in Africa.
The senegal has a wild lion population that is not agreed. One states 150 lions, which are found within Niokolo-Koba National Park. However, others suggest that while this is the one place in the country where lions still live, there are actually only around 20 within the park. This park also hosts leopards, Derby Eland and even a population of roughly 150 wild chimpanzee.
This makes the park particularly interesting, as we can see how chimpanzee avoid being hunted by these big predators, and even might be a good way to see how early hominids lived shortly after leaving the trees.
Ethiopia is thought to have roughly 200-300 remaining lions (though there are sources which claim as much as 800 lions). It should be noted, that Ethiopia once hosted a separate subspecies, however, only 8 of these survive and all live in a zoo.
Truly wild lion populations within Ethiopia include
Alatash National Park: In 2016, an international research team led by Oxford University conservationist Hans Bauer discovered a previously unknown lion population in Alatash National Park, which is located near the border with Sudan. The team used camera traps to capture images of lions and footprints, and estimated that there were between 100 and 200 lions in the area.
Kafa biosphere reserve: In southwest Ethiopia, there are around 25 lions in the Kafa biosphere reserve. However, little is known about the lions, including whether they are resident year-round or just migrate through.
Other areas where lions have been spotted include Boma-Gambella, South Omo, Welmel-Genale, Ogaden, and Awash. I have listed them below. I should add, that I have included the number of lions each area claims, however, they cannot possibly be correct, as if you add them up, you get a number of roughly 4000, which would give Ethiopia a lion population second only to Tanzania
Awash Valley and Gambella areas: These areas have seen an increase in human-lion conflict and retaliatory killings by local communities.
Boma-Gambella: This area has a population estimate of 500 lions.
South Omo: This area has a population estimate of 200 lions.
Welmel-Genale: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions.
Ogaden: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions.
Bale: This area has a population estimate of 2,373 lions. This is highly questionable. The park is 2200 square km (850 square miles) and even with an average density of one lion for every 5 square miles, this would require of over 10,000 square miles of unprotected land to be protected. It should be noted, that these lion are famous as the black maned lions. The largely recognized figure, is around 50 lions in this area.
Nechisar: This area has a population estimate of 1,030 lions. This is also completely rubbish, as the park is only around 400 square miles, and it is thought that its carrying capacity is roughly 23. Only 4 lions have been visually identified.
This does not suggest that lions within Ethiopia are particularly secure, but they are clearly better than a range of other places. We dont currently list any of these places to visit, but are eager to in the future – if you work in out of these areas do get in touch.
In 2021, Kenya did a survey of its wild area, and estimates that there is 2589 lions (this is around 74 lions more than the list I have been using for most of these numbers)
So, where are the Kenyan lions?
The Massai Mara national park is found in Kenya. It has an estimated population of 850-900 (this is a lifetime dream location for many people interested in wildlife). Look up the Serengeti ecosystem, for links in this ecosystem. We hope to add far more over time.
Ambosseli national park hosts roughly 100 wild lions. It is a big 5 reserve, and even has cheetah and a few wild dog, making it an ecotourism big 7 reserve (something that many larger reserves cannot claim). This reserve is only 392 square km. The Tsavo Amboselli ecosystem is thought to have roughly 675, thought these numbers are estimates, and it is unclear how accurate they are. While this whole ecosystem is very large, parts like Tsavo West are not good for animals like lion, which means that their density is likely to be higher than these numbers would suggest.
Niarobi national park has roughly 35 lions. It should be noted, that the range of the lions is thought to be around 400 square km, which is almost 3 times the size of the park at 140 square km. This park is odd. Once opening to the open savannah, the suburbs have expanded, and now largely completely surround it. Never-the-less, there is few other places in Africa where you can see lions with skyscrappers in the background. This reserve has 4 of the big 5 (missing elephants)
Hells gate national park is tiny, at half the size of the Niarobi national park. It was a big 5 reserve in the 1950s, and there is a suggestion that there are still a handful of lions, but not more than this. It is one of quite a few national parks, split by relatively short distances of human settlement, but it might as well be the other side of the moon, for the abillity for most small animals to move between.
The Abadares mountains national park still has a few lions, though it is unclear how many. In 2000 100-200 lions were killed to help a local antelope on the verge of extinction to survive.
Lake nakuru national park has a small lion population. A 2018 survey counted just 16, even though earlier surveys had counted 60. I have personal history here, as this was the first African wilderness that I visited.
Meru national park has an estimated 76 wild lions. It covers 870 square km (340 square miles)
Mount Kenya National Park is 715 square kilometers (276 square miles) in size. Despite its relatively small size, it is a big 5 reserve, though leopard and rhino are both rarely seen.
Samburu Nature reserve has a population of 40-50 lions, alongside all of the big 5 (and both species of African rhino). Cheetah are found, and even wild dog.
Ruma National park has lions leopards and cheetah (though the lion and leopard are very hard to see) the last roan of Kenya survive in this national park, but only 19 or so are still there.
Kora national park is another ecotourism big 7 reserve. While the number of lion is hard to ascertain is the place where George Adamson worked in the 1970s. George Adamson, (husband of Joy Adamson – author of Born free along with many other books) his brother Terence, and Tony Fitzjohn worked together to rehabilitate lions and leopards in the park from 1971–1988. How easy it is too see wild lions is unclear, but well worth a visit.
Shimba hills nature reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Mount Elgon National Park
Shaba National Reserve
Chyulu Hills 250 lions
Marsabit National Park
Sibiloi National Park claims to have lions (though a survey from 2020 found none)
Malka Mari National Park has lions in its 1500 square km area this is another Ecotourism big 7
There are also likely a wide array of private reserves that are linked to these above, and perhaps even private reserves off on their own that are likely to host lions. I hope to grow the links as fast as possible
Lions in Malawi are restricted to two regions of the country.
Mozambique have a significant number of lions, with the countries population estimated at around 1500
There are a handful of reserves, but some are large.
Niassa Special Reserve – 800 -1000 lions, making this one of the largest single populations (after the selous, serengeti, Ruaha, Kruger KAZA). Having said this, I find it sad, that a population of 800-1000 could be the 6 largest lion population in the whole of Africa)
Limpopo National Park only has around 66 lions of its own, but as a part of the LImpopo transfrontier park, should the poaching end, it could likely hold far more lions ( at the current time around 1600 lions roam the kruger. The Kruger is roughly 19500 square km, to the limpopo national parks 11,000, suggesting that the limpopo national park, should be able to support around 1000 lions in the right state
Only one reserve in Rwanda contain lions, and this is Akagera National Park, which in 1990 was known to have 250-300 lions. Unfortunately during the Genocide they were all killed, with a survey in 2002 not counting a single one. In 2015, 7 lions were moved to the reserve and in 2024 had a lion count of 78, This suggests that with this sort of recovery, the lion population could keep growing well, though time will tell if the local human population will allow this to occur.
So this countries current lion population is around 78 individuals. This can be good for Rwanda, as while it is a popular destination for forest safaris, being able to also offer savannah ecosystems will make it more popular, as someone could both trek with chimpanzee and gorilla and see lion in the same week.
It may come as a shock that much wildlife continues to cling on in Somalia. It is certainly true, that when a country falls into civil war, that this is bad for the country as a whole, but it is not necessarily bad for the wildlife, as much poaching for money stops. It is true that often the poaching of a reserve signals the end of its useful period but this is not true.
Lions are mainly found in the southern part of Somalia, with smaller populations in the north. Other wild animals in Somalia include:
Hyenas, Foxes, Leopards, Warthogs, Ostriches, Small antelopes, Birds, Somali cheetah, Reticulated giraffe, and Hamadryas baboon.
Sudan has been at war for a very long time. While there has been some surprise that things like the migration in South Sudan has survived, many wildlife species have not done so well.
Dinder national park in Sudan had a survey done in 2018, which counted around 150 lions. There are probably small numbers in other places, but there is little information on this.
Like Sudan, having spent much of the last few decades in civil war (only ending with the splitting of the country – forming the country of South Sudan) little is known. There is a huge migration that takes place within the country – and it is therefore assumed that there are lions thriving in this area, but we do not know.
Southern national park definitely has lions though the number is uncliear. The biggest potential for lions is the migration where every year, around six million antelope migrate from South Sudan to Gambella National Park in Ethiopia. The migration includes white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang, and reedbuck. However, the size is quite phenomenal – the Serengeti migration contains around 1.5 million wildebeest alongside a range of other animals which adds some extra size. However, that suggests that the South Sudan migration is 3-4 times the size of this migration. Could this migration be the way for South Sudan to pull its country out of poverty? It is quite conceivable for the migration in South Sudan to be able to attract millions of visitors and potentially billions of dollars of tourist money.
Tanzania is the undisputed king of lion areas. Out of a continent population which may be as low as 22,000, 14000-15000 lions live within its boundaries.
Many of the biggest destinations are listed on this site, though I hope to include them all.
Serengeti national park is thought to have roughly 3000 lions
Ruaha national park is thought to have 1000 lions
Nyeres national park (formerlly Selous, along with the remains of the Selous reserve) has around 5000 (1700-6900 wide bands)
Other wilderness areas will add another several thousand lions.
I have had my most exciting moments with lions in Tanzania, when one wandered through our camp at night.
Uganda consists of both forests and open land, so the lion population is not a high, with estimates suggesting that it is between 150-400 individuals.
There are estimates of between 214 and 400 lions in Uganda, but the population is declining:
Zambia is thought to contain roughly 1200, however, with 40% of the country protected, it seems reasonable to assume that this population has the space to expand significantly over time.
South Luangwa national park has around 9 large prides (up to 30 lions in a pride)
Kafue national park has around 200 lions
Lower Zambezi national park also has a good number of lions
The latest survey of Zimbabwe counted 1709 lions in total.
Hwange National Park only has 500 – 700 lions, however, spread across an area of 5000 square miles (almost 15000 square km) however, it is considered a particularly good park to visit to see the wild lions because it has diverse habitat with grasslands and forests, a high density of prey animals, and the presence of permanent waterholes which concentrate wildlife, especially during the dry season, making lion sightings very common.
This is also part of a huge protected area, straddling 5 countries and protecting over 250,000 square km. We have several destinations within Hwange click here to see more about this huge reserve and the Hwange in particular.
Mana pools – having a similar density of lions, this is also a good place to see the animals.
Gohnarhezou national park, is a part of the larger Limpopo transfrontier park, and as such also has significant populations of lions. mallilangwe reserve is also attached to this national park, and this is one of the destinations we have listed click here to read more
There are also a variety of fantastic places to see lions, which I will add in the future.
South Africa has a lion population which is only second to Tanzania in terms of lions with 3284. Between 1600 and 2200 (so over half) of these can be found within the Kruger national park and greater Limpopo transfrontier park (click here to see our links). As or perhaps more famous is the Sabi Sands private reserve. This is not only one of the best known private reserves, but also one of the largest in Africa. We also offer a number of destinations within Sabi Sands. We hope in the near future to allow booking of public campsites within the kruger national park as well – perhaps more intrepid, as you have to do things yourself, but also far cheaper. Please note, that each of the links below, send you to an ecosystem page. There are already often multiple places to stay, with an aim for this to only increase.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (of which South Africa hosts the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The whole reserve is estimated to have a population of 3500 lions, with the South African section hosting around 750 lions (with the other 2700 living in the various Botswanan sections).
A reserve with a smaller lion population includes Sanbona Nature reserve (click here) Welgevonden (click here) and Madekwe game reserve (click here). There are of course plenty more than just these few, and I hope to be able to add these in the future.
With a population of 3063, Botswana is the country with the third highest number of lions.
Much of botswanas lions live within the Kaza transfrontier park (click here), which protects the Kalahari desert and the Okavango delta. However, another big source of lions is the Kalagadi transfrontier park (our only destinations within this ecosystem can be reached here), which is shared between several areas in Botswana and South Africa, across the border.
Botswana has set aside a large portion of its country for wildlife, so this is one of the shining lights in terms of places where the lion might survive.
Namibia hosts a population of 1435 lions in a variety of habitats.
Of particular interest is the Kalahari desert, I hope to add destinations for this fascinating area, in the near future.
The skeleton above is the closest we can get to a real mammoth, as a result of their extinction. However, it is not the only
Livestock takes up roughly 20% of the worlds land, or around 50% of the worlds agricultural land. Astoundingly, around 1.3 billion people around the world
The UK has been culling badgers since 2013, and since then over 230,000, yet a recent study has shown that vaccination is far more successful
This can only happen in India, as there are no tigers in Africa. 27 years ago, it seems that there were around the same number
Hearing this news, one might think “great, another 10-20 rhino”? Think again. Platinum rhino holds as much as 15% of the current wild population in
The Gir forest was the last refuge of the Asiatic lion. Back in 1893 it was thought that there were only 18 animals remaining. Thankfully
The aim here is not to give you the number of every species that exists in each reserve. Rather, the aim is to give you a rough idea of the health and size of each reserve. In places where there are private reserves on the edge of a larger reserve, complete ecosystem numbers will be given. Please note that they will not be precise, as even straight after a thorough count numbers are only estimates – furthermore, some reserves do not publicize their numbers.
The grid of animals that I have included above are as follows (below):
African wild dog Black rhino White rhino(Really wide rhino) Elephant Buffalo Giraffe Zebra Cheetah Hippopotamus Lion Hyena Leopard
This is going to be the standard animals for Savannah ecosystems within Africa, however each different Biome will have different species so there will be a variety of these pages. I will give you brief information on each. In the long-run we hope to have animal pages for each and these will be linked from the Bold animal names. Those not bold not not yet have a link page. At the bottom of each animals page is a list of places which you can book to see the animal in question; each currently have at least a few choices, but I hope to be able to direct to many more as time moves forwards.
African wild dog (or sometimes known as Cape hunting dog or painted dog). This animal is an incredible sighting if you get lucky. Now, they live at low densities, so are generally found in the largest reserves. If a reserve still has African wild dog, it is clear that the reserve is in pretty good health (usually). Furthermore, as they are very susceptible to various diseases that domestic dogs can carry (such as canine distemper) – this wiped out the population in the Serengeti in 1995. Thankfully, wild dogs have returned to the Serengeti, though currently only 100 or so are in the ecosystem – meaning it is unlikely that you will see them here. Any sighting is a wonderful thing. Member of ecotourism big 7
Black and White Rhino Two different species, Black rhino had a far larger range, unfortunately they are highly endangered across most of their range. White rhino, once found in central Africa (there are now only 2 of these animals left, held at Ol Pejeta conservancy in Kenya) are now only found in Southern Africa – South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Kruger, once hosted as much as 10,000 or more white rhino, but now only have about 3000. Note: white rhino appears to be a mistranslation from the Africaans Weit, meaning wide, these rhino are not white. Pictures are Black then white rhino. Member of big 5 and ecotourism big 7
Elephant One of the species that so many people visit Africa for, the Savannah African elephant is doing okay, though the populations is far below historical levels. Places like the Selous (now much of this reserve is Nyerere National park) lost perhaps 80% of there historical elephant population. Encouragingly, if the poaching stops the population often rapidly recovers. The African forest elephant has seen horrific poaching over the last few decades, and without a rapid change this species might be heading for extinction (the African forest elephant is closer related to the Mammoth than the African Savannah elephant. Member of the big 5 and ecotourism big7.
Buffalo: A member of the big 5, the buffalo is essentially a wild cattle species. They are a member of the big 5 and ecotourism big 7. The big 5 is so named because these were the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. Buffalo are often the species which you are likely to have encounters with if you go walking on foot.
Lion Often referred to as the King of the Jungle (despite not being found in jungles), is generally considered the apex predator. Certainly a wonderful thing to see, never-the-less they do not get their own way all the time. The population of Lions in Africa has seen precipice falls in the last century, and this has not stopped. Tourism is one tool we have to give them financial value to those who share their space with them. Member of the big 5 and ecotourism big 7
Giraffe: While this is a species that is found in the majority of Southern and Eastern African reserves, they are officially classed as endangered, as their population is currently falling so fast. The selous in Tanzania is nicknamed the Griraffe park as there are so many of them.
Zebra are also found in most reserves in Africa, though the number of them is still of interest.
Cheetah Like African Wild dog are a key indicator of the health of the ecosystem. Living at low densities in most reserves (except in places like the Serengeti plains). These are rare sightings, and most reserves do not have many cheetah. Indeed of all the big species, the cheetah is one of the few predators who do better outside reserves.
Hippopotamus: This is another species that does reasonably well outside protected reserves, but their population has fallen fast over the last few years.
Lion Lions are a very clear indication of the health of each ecosystem. If there is a significant population of Lion, then it is a large reserve and therefore there is plenty of space for other species. Check our links at the bottom of the lion page for some of the best place to see them.
Hyena There are thought to be more than 100,000 spotted hyena in Africa, making them the most numerous predator on the continent. They are exciting animals to see, and their call is often one of the species that you hear from your campsite – the weird rising whoop which is the contact call they use between them. Watch the video below to see what I mean. The advantage of the population size is that you are likely to find them in most wilderness areas. Brown hyenas are also widely found, never the less, as they do not do well in close proximity to spotted hyenas which means they are more often found on the edge of reserves and outside them.
Leopard The last member of the big 5 and Ecotourism big 7, the Leopard is a fascinating species. A solitary animal (except mothers with their young) they are the only big cat, or indeed member of the big 5 that is reguarly found outside protected reserves, though this is decreasing over time. A fantastic sighting, they can be very hard to find, and sightings in big reserves are usually very crowded. Generally found near river courses, as these are the places where large trees are found, allowing the Leopard to rest out of danger.
Whether there were originally multiple African wild dog subspecies, these have not been retained. There were once 500,000 wild dogs roaming Africa. There are currently just 6600, spread across Africa, though many of the populations are unlikely to be genetically healthy long-term. These are divided into 39 populations.
Some famous or interesting populations are:
The Kruger wild dog population swings between extremes. In 2007 there were about 350 within the Limpopo transfrontier park. in 2022 there are thought to be about 800 wild dogs in the same area.
The Serengeti wild dog population disappeared during 1995 – wild dogs are highly sociable animals, so illness can wipe out populations. Wild dogs appear to have help on and there are thought to be about 120 at the moment. Inoculation of the domestic dog population surrounding the park will hopefully stop this happening again, and the population will grow back to the former highs -where packs 100 strong could be seen chasing the Wildebeest migration across the plains.
The largest single population lives in the Selous reserve (much of this reserve is now classed as the Nyerere national park) with a population of perhaps as many as 1000.
There are thought to be about 700 wild dogs in northern Botswana.
There are small populations all over Africa, such as 100 in Chad, but whether these survive long-term is another question. The map below shows the huge number of small populations all over Africa. The total african wild dog population is thought to be around 6600, with 700 packs. However, these numbers tend to highlight the problem with this species. Given that there are 39
There are 5 subspecies that have been recognized:
Cape wild dogs:
This is the only subspecies that appears to be doing relatively well with around 4000 animals left (though it underestimate the current population of the Kruger – while in the past it has been as low as 350, the current population is at its peak of around 850. Significant wild dog populations in this subspecies include the Kruger, while the KAZA transfrontier park is likely to be another. (Botswana is thought to host around 1300 wild dogs within its boundary, with most of the other countries in the region having at least 500 somewhere in the country).
The West African wild dog: This used to be widespread from western to central Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria. Now only two subpopulations survive: one in the Niokolo-Koba National Park of Senegal and the other in the W National Park of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. It is estimated that 70 adult individuals are left in the wild – split pretty evenly split between these two population.
East African wild dog: The east African wild dog has a number of good population – Selous has around 800-1000, while the Laikipia region of Kenya is thought to host around 300 of this rare animal
Somali wild dog: The Somali wild dog is thought to be extinct in Somali, though some are thought to survive in Ethiopia. Bale Mountains national park is known for Ethiopian wolves, but it is thought that 1 pack of around 30 Somali wild dog also live here (though they live in the dense Harenna forest, so perhaps they never meet. There are likely, some other wild dog in the country, but it is unlikely that the whole population excedes more than 100.
Chadian wild dog: The only part of this population that lives on protected land, are found within the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park in the Central African republic.
These are recognized based on differences in the animal, not physical position.
South Africa has one large population of African wild dog, which lives in the Kruger national park. The park is a large area, and therefore is large enough to support a significant wild dog population. In the Kruger, the number of wild dog tend to vary wildly. In 2007, when I trained in the Kruger, there were roughly 350 wild dog in the park. However, when we returned in 2022, there were 850 (currently the number is nearer to this 850).
There are also African wild dog in the Kalagadi transfrontier park, of which some is in South Africa.
In terms of places to see, click here to view all our destinations in the Limpopo transfrontier park
Botswana has an estimated 700 wild dog living within the country. One of the main parts of Botswana where wild dog are found is
While this does not sound like a long list, these areas are huge. This is a huge population of the wild dog.
Namibia has a population of just 200-300 wild dog (as always, I hope to add these destinations to our site in the near future)
While it should be noted, that the wild dog population of Namibia is small compared to other species, it is not tiny. Likely reasons for this lower number include:
Threats include hunting (usually by farmers) which tends to take place during the breeding period. Other problems are that human activities are taking up more and more space and leaving less, which as wild dog need so much space, they are the first to be impacted by this; they are impacted by disease, which can easily wipe out a population like in 1995 when the Serengeti population vanished; In Namibia, they are required to regularly cross roads, and unfortunately as a result a significant number get hit on the road; finally, they are small predators, and while more regularly successful than lions and others (they have a success rate over 70% compared to a lion which is only successful around 40%), lions leopards and hyena will all kill wild dog if they get the chance.
Malawi was missing the African wild dog for 20 years until 2021, when they were translocated from South Africa and Mozambique. 8 Were translocated, but they have now also had 9 pups..
They were translocated to Liwonde National Park and the Majete Wildlife Reserve, where provided they are not hit by illness, their number is likely to continue to climb. Time will tell how rapidly this population will grow to fill the space. We hope to add these locations in the near future.
Mozambique has a wild dog population of roughly 600 individuals (roughly 10% of the remaining population of this species).
There are a number of significant populations within the country.
Niassa National Reserve – a reserve which is connected to the Selous ecosystem of Tanzania (which hosts over 1300 wild dog, and is the largest remaining population) by the Selous Niassa wildlife corridor, which is a strip which is between 160 and 180km long and covers an area of 8000 square kilometres (3088 square miles). This is an important area in its own right, with a variety of wildlife populations, including:
The Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor connects the two reserves, creating a 120,000 sq km conservation area that includes the Selous Game Reserve and Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve along with the land within. It’s also known as Ushoroba in Swahili. This is essentially a transfrontier area, like the Limpopo or the KAZA but has existed for quite some time, and is one of the most important areas of conservation on the African continent. There are 300-350 wild dogs in Niassa and 1000-1500 in the NIassa – selous ecosystem as a whole – or as high as 25% of the continents wild dog.
Gorongosa National Park: Containing around 81 individuals, up from a founder population of 15 in 2018, which were taken from Hluhluwe/Umfolozi National Park.
Karingani national reserve: Has a population of 33 wild dog, from a founding population of 13 that was reintroduced in 2019 with 3 further males joining in 2020. What is clear, is that wild dog released into suitable habitat can increase their population at a rapid speed.
Limpopo national park: This park is thought to have 2 packs of wild dog, suggesting a count of 20-30. It should be noted, that this park is part of the Limpopo transfrontier park, and therefore if there is not a reason why wild dog struggle to survive in this park, more are likely to move there from the Kruger (where there is a population that certainly numbers over 400 and may be higher).
I should note, that the estimates for each individual reserve, add to a number around 100 short of the number for the country, and there do not appear to be more reserves to add. I will correct if I need in the future.
Zambia is considered one of the 6 countries with the most stable wild dog populations left. There are around 400 individuals in the country, split across 26 different packs.
They are found in:
Zimbabwe currently has 660 wild dog, in 86 packs, which works out at around 7-8 per pack.
Hwange national park has a population of roughly 160 wild dogs, but this is part of the enormous KAZA transfrontier park, which means that it should be possible for further wild dog to migrate into this park from the many connected areas. This also means that even if Hwange national park cannot support more wild dog, it is possible for these wild dog to move around, allowing a free exchange of genetic material. We have 2 destinations within this area for you to visit, click here.
Mana Pools national park: here, wild dogs have been habituated to humans, allowing them to be followed on foot. However, the population is only thought to be 20 at the current time.
I hope to add the rest of this countries useful destinations in the future
Senegal has around 50-100 west African wild dog, however, given their status as West African wild dog, this is a significant part of the population. They are found in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, which is a fascinating park as it also hosts
Elephants
Leopards
Chimpanzees
West African lions
Western giant elands
Servals
Caracals
African wild cats
The population of Lions in Niger (150 or there abouts) is thought to be restricted to its section of the WAP complex, which is a transboundary area, including land in Benin and Burkina Faso and is perhaps the last good hope for the west African lion – around 80-90% of the western lion population live within this protected area. While the other countries have a separate national park, protecting an area of land, Niger only has part of a single park (W national park) which stretches across the borders of all 3 countries).
It is unclear how many lions live within this national park, though it is definitely greater than 8 as there is currently a study that is following 8. Given that W national park contains around 1 third of the land in the WAP complex, so it should hold around 150 lions within it.
Whether the land is currently capable of supporting this number is questionable. It should be noted that the WAP complex is roughly twice the size of the Kruger national park, suggesting that the entire area might be able to support around twice the lion population of the Kruger – this is roughly 3000 lions. Now, it is quite possible that this area is drier, and therefore has a lower carrying capacity, but this gives space for a large increase in the lions within the WAP complex. It should be noted, that this might well be an over estimated, as some of the WAP complex is hunting areas, and while they will not hunt many (if any) lions with in these, hunting prey will also reduce the number of lions that these areas can support. If this was accurate, one could expect a lion population of W national park in Niger, of around 2000. While we are a long way from this, it suggests that with better conservation, Niger could have a lion population that would give it the sixth largest population in Africa.
Only one reserve in Rwanda contain lions, and this is Akagera National Park, which in 1990 was known to have 250-300 lions. Unfortunately during the Genocide they were all killed, with a survey in 2002 not counting a single one. In 2015, 7 lions were moved to the reserve and in 2024 had a lion count of 78, This suggests that with this sort of recovery, the lion population could keep growing well, though time will tell if the local human population will allow this to occur.
So this countries current lion population is around 78 individuals. This can be good for Rwanda, as while it is a popular destination for forest safaris, being able to also offer savannah ecosystems will make it more popular, as someone could both trek with chimpanzee and gorilla and see lion in the same week.
Tanzania hosts a large portion of the wild dogs that remain in Africa. These are all part of the East Africa wild dog subspecies
The Selous ecosystem is the undisputed king of areas for the wild dog, containing 1300 wild dog in this one area. Furthermore, in recent years, it has got easier to go to this area to see the wild dog. This is because the Selous has been split into the Nyeres national park (majority) and a small region of it still devoted to hunting. It should be noted, that this includes the Mikumi national park.
The Ruaha Katavi ecosystem hosts more than 500 wild dog.
The Serengeti losts its wild dog back in 1995, likely to canine distemper. However, it appears that small numbers of wild dog survived in the far east of this ecosystem, and these are now growing and reappearing in their former haunts. It is thought that around 120 wild dog are present in 10 packs.
These numbers are only relatively vague, but between them give Tanzania a total of roughly 2000 wild dog, which is almost 1/3 of the whole of the continents population.
In 2021, Kenya did a survey of its wild area, and estimates that there is 2589 lions (this is around 74 lions more than the list I have been using for most of these numbers)
So, where are the Kenyan lions?
The Massai Mara national park is found in Kenya. It has an estimated population of 850-900 (this is a lifetime dream location for many people interested in wildlife). Look up the Serengeti ecosystem, for links in this ecosystem. We hope to add far more over time.
Ambosseli national park hosts roughly 100 wild lions. It is a big 5 reserve, and even has cheetah and a few wild dog, making it an ecotourism big 7 reserve (something that many larger reserves cannot claim). This reserve is only 392 square km. The Tsavo Amboselli ecosystem is thought to have roughly 675, thought these numbers are estimates, and it is unclear how accurate they are. While this whole ecosystem is very large, parts like Tsavo West are not good for animals like lion, which means that their density is likely to be higher than these numbers would suggest.
Niarobi national park has roughly 35 lions. It should be noted, that the range of the lions is thought to be around 400 square km, which is almost 3 times the size of the park at 140 square km. This park is odd. Once opening to the open savannah, the suburbs have expanded, and now largely completely surround it. Never-the-less, there is few other places in Africa where you can see lions with skyscrappers in the background. This reserve has 4 of the big 5 (missing elephants)
Hells gate national park is tiny, at half the size of the Niarobi national park. It was a big 5 reserve in the 1950s, and there is a suggestion that there are still a handful of lions, but not more than this. It is one of quite a few national parks, split by relatively short distances of human settlement, but it might as well be the other side of the moon, for the abillity for most small animals to move between.
The Abadares mountains national park still has a few lions, though it is unclear how many. In 2000 100-200 lions were killed to help a local antelope on the verge of extinction to survive.
Lake nakuru national park has a small lion population. A 2018 survey counted just 16, even though earlier surveys had counted 60. I have personal history here, as this was the first African wilderness that I visited.
Meru national park has an estimated 76 wild lions. It covers 870 square km (340 square miles)
Mount Kenya National Park is 715 square kilometers (276 square miles) in size. Despite its relatively small size, it is a big 5 reserve, though leopard and rhino are both rarely seen.
Samburu Nature reserve has a population of 40-50 lions, alongside all of the big 5 (and both species of African rhino). Cheetah are found, and even wild dog.
Ruma National park has lions leopards and cheetah (though the lion and leopard are very hard to see) the last roan of Kenya survive in this national park, but only 19 or so are still there.
Kora national park is another ecotourism big 7 reserve. While the number of lion is hard to ascertain is the place where George Adamson worked in the 1970s. George Adamson, (husband of Joy Adamson – author of Born free along with many other books) his brother Terence, and Tony Fitzjohn worked together to rehabilitate lions and leopards in the park from 1971–1988. How easy it is too see wild lions is unclear, but well worth a visit.
Shimba hills nature reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Mount Elgon National Park
Shaba National Reserve
Chyulu Hills 250 lions
Marsabit National Park
Sibiloi National Park claims to have lions (though a survey from 2020 found none)
Malka Mari National Park has lions in its 1500 square km area this is another Ecotourism big 7
There are also likely a wide array of private reserves that are linked to these above, and perhaps even private reserves off on their own that are likely to host lions. I hope to grow the links as fast as possible
Lions in Malawi are restricted to two regions of the country.
Lions are present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but their population is threatened by human activities. There population is down to 211 from around 1600 in the 1970s. There is definitely space for this population to grow – but these are the current known lion habitats
The Ishasha River valley is a good place to see lions, hippos, elephants, and buffalo. However, the population of lions in the valley has been reduced by poaching, land invasion, and conflict. The lions in this area are known for their tree-climbing habits.
In the 1990s, this park was considered a lion stronghold, but by 2014, no lions were recorded there, making the population locally extinct.
There is physical evidence of lions in this reserve, but there is no estimate of the population density or distribution.
Ethiopia is thought to have roughly 200-300 remaining lions (though there are sources which claim as much as 800 lions). It should be noted, that Ethiopia once hosted a separate subspecies, however, only 8 of these survive and all live in a zoo.
Truly wild lion populations within Ethiopia include
Alatash National Park: In 2016, an international research team led by Oxford University conservationist Hans Bauer discovered a previously unknown lion population in Alatash National Park, which is located near the border with Sudan. The team used camera traps to capture images of lions and footprints, and estimated that there were between 100 and 200 lions in the area.
Kafa biosphere reserve: In southwest Ethiopia, there are around 25 lions in the Kafa biosphere reserve. However, little is known about the lions, including whether they are resident year-round or just migrate through.
Other areas where lions have been spotted include Boma-Gambella, South Omo, Welmel-Genale, Ogaden, and Awash. I have listed them below. I should add, that I have included the number of lions each area claims, however, they cannot possibly be correct, as if you add them up, you get a number of roughly 4000, which would give Ethiopia a lion population second only to Tanzania
Awash Valley and Gambella areas: These areas have seen an increase in human-lion conflict and retaliatory killings by local communities.
Boma-Gambella: This area has a population estimate of 500 lions.
South Omo: This area has a population estimate of 200 lions.
Welmel-Genale: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions.
Ogaden: This area has a population estimate of 100 lions.
Bale: This area has a population estimate of 2,373 lions. This is highly questionable. The park is 2200 square km (850 square miles) and even with an average density of one lion for every 5 square miles, this would require of over 10,000 square miles of unprotected land to be protected. It should be noted, that these lion are famous as the black maned lions. The largely recognized figure, is around 50 lions in this area.
Nechisar: This area has a population estimate of 1,030 lions. This is also completely rubbish, as the park is only around 400 square miles, and it is thought that its carrying capacity is roughly 23. Only 4 lions have been visually identified.
This does not suggest that lions within Ethiopia are particularly secure, but they are clearly better than a range of other places. We dont currently list any of these places to visit, but are eager to in the future – if you work in out of these areas do get in touch.
Chad is thought to have a wild lion population of roughly 200.
Sena Oura national park was in the news in the recent past, for a lion being seen for the first time in 20 years (click here to read our article on this news from the time).
Zakouma National Park is home to popular predators including a more significant lion population, as well as hyenas and leopard, but also large herds of central African savannah buffalo, elephant, and endemic species such as the pale fox and the kordofan giraffe.
The central African republic has an estimated 50 lions remaining, with 30 residing in the Chinko Nature Reserve.
Other reserves claiming wild lions in the country (population estimates have to be taken with a large pinch of salt, as various reserves claim healthy lion population, which would dwarf the whole country population – still, I hope to add these destinations in the future) include:
The wild dog is thought to have become locally extinct in Cameroon in recent years
Image source Burrard-Lucas Photography Before 1992, as well as the Lions and Cheetah, there were huge packs of African Wild Dog (also called African Hunting Dogs) that would follow the...
Why are these birds having population collapse?
are all disappearing rapidly. Indeed, a study of 42 species, 90% had seen significant declines, with...
Spotted hyena mothers are finding that they have to travel further to find food. The hyenas are having to travel long distances, more and more regularly as the rain changes mean that the huge migration herds arrive later.
What is fascinating is that researchers have found that they are spending no less time with their cubs.
Now it should be noted, that many of the remaining wild hyenas live in far more fragmented habitats, and in these places the issue may be more serious. Never-the-less, for the time being what is clear is that these highly adaptable animals are currently adapting to changes bought about by climate change with relative ease.
In Africa there has been horrible decline of rhinos. The northern white rhino was as recent as 1960 still living in numbers over 2000. Found through Chad, the Central African Republic, South-western Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and North-western Uganda. Unfortunately this population has since crashed, and while they are not yet extinct there are so few left it is unlikely to recover. Embryos have been frozen in the hope that in the near future Southern white rhinos could host these.
Unfortunately, while the southern white rhino is doing far better with 18,000 (only a 12% decline in the last decade) it is not healthy and at the rate that poaching has occurred it’s not inconceivable that this population could be largely poached out of existence in a decade. In 2021, 457 rhinos were poached in South Africa with 77 lost from the Kruger. While this is horrific, it would suggest that Kruger is finally managing to protect its rhinos more effectively. Currently only 30% of Southern white rhino live in Kruger, which in the past this percentage was far higher (as high as 80-90%). Hopefully in the future rhino poaching will go back to being a thing of the past – while Kruger has the space, it cannot stop hundreds of determined poachers, while smaller reserves can do this more easily.
In the early 1900s, the Southern white rhino population fell to 50-100, thankfully this direction changed with (they are hoping) in August this year. The problem remains, that despite it having no medicinal benefit, if a rhino horn is valuable then people living near the breadline in the surrounding area will look on it with envy. Even if locals do not do it, it is worthwhile for criminal gangs. At the moment, white rhino horn can be sold for around $60,000 per pound, and an average white rhino horn weighs just short of 9 pounds. This means that each white rhino has half a million dollars attached to its nose.
One important thing to note, is that the name white rhino does not come from the colour of its skin. Indeed, with a white and a black rhino standing next to each other it would be hard to notice a difference in the colour of the skin. Instead, it gets its name from the afrikaans word weit which means wide – the white rhino has a wide mouth for grazing, while the black rhino has a pointed mouth for browsing.
Either place gives you a good chance to see rhino in their home.
As time passes, we hope to add more destinations for each species. There is a list of all articles on this species below the destinations available.
Note: to look at the rest of the rhino family click here
Image by Ikiwaner The last surviving male Northern White Rhino died recently. Sudan was 45 which is a good age for a rhino. Indeed were he not the last male...
To see the whole tweet click here
The South...
Rhino are unable to sweat, which means that as temperatures increase, both black and white rhino are more and more reliant on finding shade, in order to keep...
It is often quite simple as humans. We are very capable hunters, with our ability to make ourselves tools and similar. This, unfortunately, means that we do not obey the...
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