8 Endangered African Animals and the Best Places to See them

Discover the best places to see endangered African animals and find out more about these rare wildlife species.

1. African Elephant

Loxodonta Africana is the largest known terrestrial animal. Known for their tight-knit family groups and their considerable – up to 6 tonne – weight, elephants are synonymous with Africa. Sadly, these giants of the African bush are listed as vulnerable due to a combination of poaching for horn, habitat loss and encroachment. Luckily for us, as a flagship species, elephants are well protected and there are plenty of places where they can still be seen in the wild; alive and free.

African Elephant by African Budget Safaris

Best places to see elephants in Africa:

• Kruger National Park, South Africa
• Motswari Private Game Reserve, Timbavati, South Africa
• Tsavo National Park, Kenya
• Chobe National Park & Delta, Botswana
• Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
• Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Gorilla, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda by Derek Keats

2. Mountain Gorilla

Critically endangered, Gorilla beringei has felt the full force of unrest in central Africa. Ravaged by war, poaching, and habitat loss, and human encroachment, these great apes are an icon of the struggle for wildlife in Africa. Adult male gorillas or silverbacks weigh in at about 180kg; not bad for a vegetarian! Sadly, the mountain gorillas are limited to a few isolated groups in East Africa.

Mountain Gorillas in Virunga

The best places to see gorillas are:

• Bwindi National Park, Uganda
• Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Penguins at boulders beach by Kostos Limitsios

3. African Penguin

Aren’t they cute! Sad but true, these little rockstars are perched precipitously on the edge due mostly to dwindling fish stocks and habitat loss. Spheniscus demersus or the African penguin makes its home on the shores of Southern Africa. It’s not every day that you get to see a penguin on a beach while wearing a bikini (or swimming trunks) and basking in the sunshine but there you have it! Penguins in Africa, and another great reason to travel.

Penguins, South Africa

Best penguin spots in Africa:

• Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

African lions by amrishwadekar

4. African Lion

Pantera leo. In the past 21 years, the population of the African lion has declined by more than 40%. This is largely due to habitat destruction, encroachment, and prey depletion. For the undisputed King of the jungle (or savannah for those in the know), life is perilous. The good news is that while the lion is listed as vulnerable; in four countries, here in southern Africa, populations are marginally on the rise. No campfire in the African bush would be complete without the cavernous roar of the mighty lion. 

African Lion eyes by African Budget Safaris

These are the best places to see lions in Africa:

• Ngorongoro, Tanzania
• Caprivi, Namibia
• Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa 
• Serengeti, Tanzania
• Kruger Park South Africa

Painted wolves in Africa by African Budget Safaris

5. Painted Wolf (African wild dog)

Lycaon pictus has had a bit of a rough ride. These dogs have massive ranges and so have suffered tremendously with the carving up of the wilderness into fenced parcels. They are currently listed as endangered animals and in need of protection. To help change the negative connotations around their natures and behavior, the name was changed from wild dogs to painted wolves. They are incredibly social and can be found in packs of 10 to 40 individuals. It is something rare and spectacular to see these wild dogs in the wild.

African wild dogs by African Budget Safaris

Best places to see African wild dogs:

• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
• Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa
• Kruger Park, South Africa
• South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Okavango Delta, Botswana

Black rhino by Gerry Zamboni

6. Rhino

Earlier this year we witnessed the death and therefore the extinction of the last male northern white rhino. Here in southern Africa, we are blessed with both black and white rhinos. While the white rhino is merely near-threatened, the black rhinoceros is a critically endangered animal. Since 1960 we have lost 97.6% of these creatures. The main reason is mankind. Diceros bicornis is big, near-sighted, and fiercely protective of their young.

While their location is often a closely guarded secret, your best chance of seeing rhino in Africa are:

Rhino, Tanzania by Roman Boed

• Etosha National Park, Namibia
• Kruger Park, South Africa
• Okavango Delta, Botswana 
• Lake Nakuru, Kenya
• Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana
• Hlane Royal National Park, Swaziland
• Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Endangered Pangolin by Tikki Hywood Trust

7. Pangolin

The pangolin is a small ground-living mammal that is covered with fish-like scales. They are shy and truly remarkable for a number of reasons. Recently they have become famous for all the wrong reasons as the most trafficked animal in the world. Last year all eight species of pangolin won a small victory when they were listed from vulnerable to critically endangered. In southern Africa you are likely to come across the ground pangolin, Smutsia temminckii. While these diminutive creatures are widely distributed, only the very luckiest ever encounter them in the wild, making them truly the jewel in the crown of safari spotting.

Pangolin, endangered animal by Adrian Steirn

For the best chance to see a pangolin in Africa:

• Kruger Park, South Africa
• Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa
• Amboseli National Park, Kenya
• Serengeti, Tanzania
• Kafue National Park, Zambia
• Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Cheetah eating by Greg Willis

8. Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus is the fastest land animal on the planet. The cheetah is unmistakable, savannah yellow with black spots with clear tear-lines running from their eyes. These cats need large ranges and open spaces to really stretch their legs, and they too have suffered from habitat loss and are today listed as vulnerable. Once ranging across the African continent, today they are limited to only 6 countries in Southern Africa.

Best places to see cheetah in Africa:

• Etosha National Park, Namibia
• Masai Mara, Kenya
• Okavango Delta, Botswana
• Kafue National Park, Zambia
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa/Botswana

Find out about more endangered animals in Africa - from the Ethiopian Wolf and the chimpanzee to the Rothschild's giraffe and Grevy's zebra.