5 Rare Animals You Might See on Safari
As you focus on the landscape, you stay as alert as possible, hoping that your eye will catch anything unusual (a movement, a color, the flick of a tail, or the twitch of an ear) that will signal another animal sighting. When you do spot something, it can take a moment to figure out exactly what it is (a lion, an antelope, a lion-shaped rock). And every once in a while, even after you’ve taken in all the characteristics, the creature might still be a mystery to you.
On an African safari, there are many animals that you are almost guaranteed to see. But what about the more unusual sightings? These secretive or quick-moving or rare animals have a special charm and are part of what makes an African safari such an exciting, unique experience.
1. Wild Dogs
The African wild dog, also known as the Cape hunting dog, painted dog, or painted wolf (the translation of its scientific name), have large, rounded ears, and four toes on each foot. Each dog has a unique coat pattern, which resembles a painter’s pallet, as if they were used to test out which brush strokes and colors to use. These irregular, multicolored patterns give wild dogs their distinctive look.
Although they used to be found across the African continent in various habitats, their reduction in numbers due to habitat loss, poaching, and disease means they now are more difficult to see. There are currently fewer than 7,000 left in the wild. Traveling in cooperative groups of up to around 20 dogs, they also have large territories and can cover as much as 50 kilometers in one day, making them difficult to track.
These packs are led by a monogamous breeding pair, the only ones who produce offspring, and puppies are cared for by the entire pack. It’s rare for them to stay in one place except for the short time following the birth of new puppies, where the pack’s world revolves around the location of the den. This is often the best chance of seeing them.
They have one of the most successful hunting rates of any carnivore, with an average of 80% of hunts resulting in a kill (for comparison, the success rates of lions, leopards, and cheetahs are around 20-30%). They have the stamina to keep chasing their prey for up to an hour. Although vicious hunters, they are incredibly caring to each other, rarely turning their aggression inward and even feeding the sick and old within their pack.
2. African Civet
This secretive animal is often called a civet cat, but is actually not a part of the cat family and is closely related to the weasel and mongoose. They have bushy tails, long necks, and rings around their eyes. Their fur is short and grey, with black spots arranged in neat rows. It almost looks like a mix between a hyena and a raccoon.
They are solitary, nocturnal, and mysterious, spending their time during daylight hours in treetops or within dense vegetation, ensuring they have plenty of cover. They spend their nights looking for food, their head pointed toward the ground to sniff out their next meal. They are omnivores, eating things that are often distasteful or even poisonous to other animals. They are very territorial, leaving a strong scent to mark their domain.
3. Striped Hyena
Although their spotted relatives are a fairly common sight, the striped hyena is quite rare because of their nocturnal and shy nature as well as their habitats of rocky outcroppings and dense scrubland. They are also categorized as near-threatened by extinction, with an estimated number of only 10,000 left in the wild.
They have a longer snout than the spotted hyena and are very dog-like in their appearance. Their large pointed ears go well with their mane, which goes from head to tail. Their golden brown fur with black stripes helps them blend into their surroundings. Their front legs are longer than their back legs, which results in a distinctive loping gait.
They have exceptionally strong jaws and are almost exclusively scavengers, playing an important role in the ecosystem as part of the decomposition cycle. Although previously assumed to be solitary figures, recent research has revealed a more complex social structure, with up to seven striped hyenas living together near sources of food and water.
4. Pangolin
The most trafficked animal in the world, the endangered pangolin is hunted for its meat and scales (believed by some to have magical powers). They are nocturnal, hiding out in burrows during the day and emerging to hunt at night. These unique animals have no teeth, but a stomach that grinds food. Along with their diet of insects, they ingest small stones and sand, which helps with the digestion process.
They are the only mammal that is completely covered in scales, with a long snout and a small head. About the size of a house cat, they have several forms of self-defense that help protect them from predators. They’re able to roll themselves into a ball, making it very difficult to break through. Additionally, their scales are sharp, meaning that any attempt to penetrate the scaly exterior may actually harm the attacker. They also have a skunk-like defense mechanism of emitting a stench.
They prefer sandy soils and proximity to water and are found throughout Central, East, and Southern Africa.
5. Honey Badger
Don’t be deceived by the sweet name of this animal. It’s an impressive and fierce enemy that other wildlife don’t often want to mess with. Although it would rarely initiate an attack, it has no problem defending itself, both with physical aggression and by dropping stink bombs (similar to a skunk). Part of the weasel family, its proper name is “ratel” but its colloquial name comes from their love of honey and the bee larvae found in it.
Honey badgers have short, strong legs, flat bodies, and long claws on their front feet. Their thick, coarse, black mane has one gray-white stripe that goes all the way from their head to their tail. Undisputably cute, they may not be particularly cuddly but are a very enjoyable animal to see. These animals eat a bit of everything, from small mammals to insects to fruits.
Nocturnal and secretive, these animals are difficult to observe in their natural habitat and often sleep during the day curled up in a ball inside one of the burrows that they are experts at digging for themselves. They are incredibly intelligent and have even been observed using tools. They are endangered primarily as a result of habitat destruction.
