Karibu Tanzania

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Field guide

The wildlife of Tanzania

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

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Showing 38 species in Mammals

African Lion
Big Five
VU

Big cats

African Lion

Panthera leo

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

Leopard
Big Five
VU

Big cats

Leopard

Panthera pardus

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

African Elephant
Big Five
EN

Elephants

African Elephant

Loxodonta africana

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

Tarangire, Nyerere +7 more

African Buffalo
Big Five
NT

Bovids

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more

Black Rhinoceros
Big Five
CR

Rhinos

Black Rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

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

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti +1 more

Cheetah
VU

Big cats

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more

Masai Giraffe
EN

Ungulates

Masai Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

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

Serengeti, Tarangire +7 more

LC

Antelopes

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more

African Wild Dog
EN

Carnivores

African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

A rare, highly social painted hunter that runs down prey in packs.

Nyerere, Ruaha +2 more

Chimpanzee
EN

Primates

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Our closest living relative, found in the forests of western Tanzania.

Mahale Mountains, Gombe Stream

Zanzibar Red Colobus
Endemic
EN

Primates

Zanzibar Red Colobus

Piliocolobus kirkii

A rare monkey found only on Zanzibar, easy to see at Jozani Forest.

Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Stone Town +1 more

Spotted Hyena
LC

Carnivores

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +5 more

Plains Zebra
NT

Ungulates

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

A striped grazer that leads the Great Migration alongside wildebeest.

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Hippopotamus
VU

Ungulates

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Thomson's Gazelle
LC

Antelopes

Thomson's Gazelle

Eudorcas thomsonii

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

Impala
LC

Antelopes

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

A graceful antelope, common in herds, known for high jumps.

Serengeti, Tarangire +5 more

Common Eland
LC

Antelopes

Common Eland

Taurotragus oryx

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

Lake Natron, Serengeti +2 more

Gerenuk
NT

Antelopes

Gerenuk

Litocranius walleri

A long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to browse.

Tarangire, Lake Natron

Greater Kudu
LC

Antelopes

Greater Kudu

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

A tall antelope with corkscrew horns and white body stripes.

Ruaha, Tarangire +1 more

Sable Antelope
LC

Antelopes

Sable Antelope

Hippotragus niger

A handsome black antelope with long, curved horns.

Nyerere, Ruaha +2 more

Topi
LC

Antelopes

Topi

Damaliscus lunatus jimela

A glossy, purplish antelope that stands on termite mounds as a lookout.

Serengeti, Saadani +1 more

Waterbuck
LC

Antelopes

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

A shaggy antelope with a white ring on its rump, never far from water.

Tarangire, Lake Manyara +3 more

Common Warthog
LC

Ungulates

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more

Serval
LC

Small cats

Serval

Leptailurus serval

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

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti +1 more

Caracal
LC

Small cats

Caracal

Caracal caracal

A tufted-eared cat that can leap high to catch birds in flight.

Serengeti, Tarangire +1 more

Bat-eared Fox
LC

Carnivores

Bat-eared Fox

Otocyon megalotis

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

Black-backed Jackal
LC

Carnivores

Black-backed Jackal

Lupulella mesomelas

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +4 more

Honey Badger
LC

Carnivores

Honey Badger

Mellivora capensis

A fearless, tough little carnivore with a reputation for taking on lions.

Serengeti, Tarangire +1 more

Kirk's Dik-dik
LC

Antelopes

Kirk's Dik-dik

Madoqua kirkii

A tiny antelope, no bigger than a hare, that lives in pairs.

Tarangire, Lake Manyara +3 more

Klipspringer
LC

Antelopes

Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

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

Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more

LC

Primates

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

A big, bold monkey that lives in large troops and eats almost anything.

Lake Manyara, Mikumi +5 more

Vervet Monkey
LC

Primates

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

A small grey monkey with a black face and sky-blue skin.

Tarangire, Lake Manyara +4 more

Blue Monkey
LC

Primates

Blue Monkey

Cercopithecus mitis

A dark, forest-dwelling monkey that eats fruit high in the canopy.

Arusha, Lake Manyara +4 more

Black-and-white Colobus
LC

Primates

Black-and-white Colobus

Colobus guereza

A striking black monkey with a flowing white cape and tail.

Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro +3 more

Iringa Red Colobus
Endemic
EN

Primates

Iringa Red Colobus

Piliocolobus gordonorum

An endemic monkey of the Udzungwa Mountains, with a red crown and black back.

Udzungwa Mountains

Sanje Mangabey
Endemic
EN

Primates

Sanje Mangabey

Cercocebus sanjei

A rare monkey found only in the Udzungwa Mountains, first described in 1979.

Udzungwa Mountains

Kipunji
Endemic
CR

Primates

Kipunji

Rungwecebus kipunji

A rare monkey discovered in 2003, found only in two southern highland forests.

Udzungwa Mountains

Thick-tailed Bushbaby
LC

Primates

Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Otolemur crassicaudatus

A big-eyed nocturnal primate whose call sounds like a crying baby.

Lake Manyara, Arusha +3 more

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

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