- All
- Big 5
- Northern 5
- Ugly 5
- Little 5
Baboon
SWAHILI NAME: Nyani
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Monkeys
DISTINGUISHED BY: Long snout and robust build
1. Lives in troops and communicates using over 30 sounds—grunts, barks, screams—plus gestures like yawns and lip-smacking.
2. Omnivorous; eats plants and animals. Males have canines that can be longer than a leopard’s!
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A
Boomslang
SWAHILI NAME: Ngole/Gangawia/Peku
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Green mamba, vine snake
DISTINGUISHED BY: Large eyes, slender body, and keeled scales
1. Highly venomous with exceptional camouflage; body and eye color vary widely.
2. Unlike most snakes, boomslangs have excellent binocular vision for hunting.
PHOTO CREDIT: Erasti Photography
Buffalo
SWAHILI NAME: Nyati/Mbogo
CATEGORY: Big 5
CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: N/A in Africa (Bison, Water Buffalo)
DISTINGUISHED BY: Large, curved horns and robust build
1. One of Africa’s most dangerous animals due to their unpredictable behavior and strength
2. Have excellent memory and can recall predators and people they encounter
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A
BushBuck
SWAHILI NAME: Pongo/Kulungu/Mbawala
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Duiker, Reedbuck
DISTINGUISHED BY: Spiral horns (males) and spotted coat
1. Shy and solitary, they prefer dense bush habitats
2. Excellent jumpers, they evade predators with powerful leaps
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A
Bustard, White-bellied
SWAHILI NAME: Tandawala Tumbo-Jeupe
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Other Bustards
DISTINGUISHED BY: White belly, long legs, and blue-gray neck of males
1. Found in open grasslands and savannahs, often spotted in pairs or alone
2. Males have blue-gray necks and dark facial markings, while females are more muted in color, and both have a distinctive croaking call
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A
Buzzard, Augur
SWAHILI NAME: Shakivale Tumbo-jeupe
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Other Hawks, Eagles
DISTINGUISHED BY: Chunky body and reddish-orange tail.
1. Part of the hawk family, not the eagle family.
2. Underparts may vary in color, ranging from white to black or chestnut, particularly in Somalia.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A
Cheetah
SWAHILI NAME: Duma
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Leopard
DISTINGUISHED BY: Slender body, black tear marks, less muscular than Leopard
1. The fastest land animal, reaching up to 110 km/h but tiring after ~100 meters
2. Among the oldest cat species, with a lineage dating back nearly 4 million years.
PHOTO CREDIT: Erasti Photography
Crane, Grey Crowned
SWAHILI NAME: Korongo Taji Kijivu
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Black Crowned Crane
DISTINGUISHED BY: Golden crest and grey feathers
1. Known for elaborate mating dances and monogamous behavior
2. National bird of Uganda
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A