Karibu Tanzania

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Field guide

The wildlife of Tanzania

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

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Species profiled

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Places to see them

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Found only here

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Showing 10 species

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

Sable Antelope
LC

Antelopes

Sable Antelope

Hippotragus niger

A handsome black antelope with long, curved horns.

Nyerere, Ruaha +2 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

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

Kilombero Weaver
Endemic
EN

Weavers

Kilombero Weaver

Ploceus burnieri

A tiny weaver found only in the Kilombero floodplain of south-central Tanzania.

Udzungwa Mountains

African Violet
Endemic
NE

Flowering plants

African Violet

Streptocarpus (Saintpaulia) ionanthus

The original houseplant, discovered in the Usambara Mountains in 1892.

Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains

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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Tell us which animals are on your wish list and we will design a trip that puts you in the right place at the right time.

Prefer to talk? Call +255 764 103 857

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