6 Animals Found in African Safari Tours

Africa is known for its vast landscape and the animals that live in it. Some people are lucky enough to visit this beautiful place and see the animals in their natural habitat. Below are the most common animals you can find in the African safari.

Lion

Known to be the king of the jungle, they’re the main attractions of any safari. During the day, you’re likely to see these big cats lying around and sleeping than actively chasing prey since they usually spend 20 hours a day resting. Since they’re social animals and live along with others in a pride, they’re very easy to spot.

Elephant

 The biggest land mammal on the planet, you’ll definitely be awed when you see this majestic animal for the first time. They’re commonly found in the savanna, deserts, forests and woodlands, spreading across more than 30 countries in the sub-Sahara Africa. They’re peaceful animals, but it’s best if they’re left alone.

Giraffe

Another animal that’s easily spotted in any safari, the giraffe is known for their long, delicate necks. They’re the tallest animal in the planet, so you really can’t miss them when you’re out in the field. Because of their long necks, they actually have a special blood valve and veins that stops them from blacking out when they lower their heads to drink.

Leopards

One of the big cats that prowl the safari, there are actually more leopards than African rhinos. However, they are a bit difficult to find since they’re fur is designed to help it bend into the safari. They commonly climb trees and stay there, using them to stay safe as they observe the surrounding.

Rhino

Rhinos are divided into two species, the white and black rhino. The population of black rhinos has drastically declined over the past few decades, so it’s very rare to see these animals in the safari. White rhinos on the other hand are more common and can be seen in South Africa. They’re large animals and are best viewed from afar since they can have a bit of a bad temper.

Cheetahs

A beautiful and rare big cat, they’re one of the fastest animals on land. They’re very agile and flexible, making them a top predator in the safari. Human occupation is one of the biggest threats to these animals since they have a preference for wide, open areas that are being converted into cattle grazing zones. They’re seen in the eastern and southwestern areas of the African safari.

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African Bush Elephant

African Bush Elephant Classification and Evolution
The African Bush Elephant is the largest of all living creatures on land today, with some individuals growing to weigh more than 6 tons. The Elephant is thought to have been named after the Greek word for ivory, meaning that Elephants were named for their uniquely long tusks. Although many of the ancestors of the African Bush Elephant became extinct during the last ice-age (including the Woolly Mammoth), there are three distinct species of Elephant remaining today which are the Asian Elephant (of which there are a number of sub-species), the African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant. Although these two Elephant species are very similar, the African Bush Elephant is considered to be generally larger than the African Forest Elephant, which has rounder ears and straighter tusks.

African Bush Elephant Anatomy and Appearance
The African Bush Elephant is the largest known land mammal on Earth, with male African Bush Elephants reaching up to 3.5 metres in height and the females being slightly smaller at around 3 metres tall. The body of the African Bush Elephants can also grow to between 6 and 7 meters long. The tusks of an African Bush Elephant can be nearly 2.5 meters in length and generally weigh between 50 and 100 pounds, which is about the same as a small adult Human. African Bush Elephants have four molar teeth each weighing about 5.0 kg and measuring about 12 inches long. As the front pair of molars in the mouth of the African Bush Elephant wear down and drop out in pieces, the back pair shift forward and two new molars emerge in the back of the African Bush Elephant's mouth. African Bush Elephants replace their teeth six times during their lives but when the African Bush Elephant is between 40 to 60 years old, it no longer has teeth and will likely die of starvation, which is sadly a common cause of death of Elephants in the African wilderness.

African Bush Elephant Distribution and Habitat
Although the historical range of it's ancestors ranged right into the Arctic Circle, today the African Bush Elephant is mainly found in central and southern Africa in nomadic herds that wander the plains and grasslands of Africa grazing for food and searching for waterholes. Unlike the slightly smaller African Forest Elephant, the African Bush Elephant inhabits the grassy savanna plains and shrub-land of the African continent in groups that contain mothers and their calves. Generally African Bush Elephant herds contains around 10 individuals but it is not uncommon for family groups to join together, forming a clan which can contains over 1,000 Elephants. This very social lifestyle means that the African Bush Elephants are less vulnerable on the open African plains.

African Bush Elephant Behaviour and Lifestyle
Not only is the African Bush Elephant an incredibly sociable mammal but it is also a very active one. African Bush Elephants are nomadic animals meaning that they are constantly on the move in search of food, so moving within these family herds allows them to have greater protection both from predators and from the elements. The trunk of the African Bush Elephant is one of it's most distinguishing features and this extra long nose is not only flexible enough to gather and handle food but can also collect water. It's trunk, along with it's tusks can also be used to defend itself from predators such as Lions, and to fight with other male African Bush Elephants during the mating season. African Bush Elephants are also considered to be highly intelligent and emotional animals displaying behaviours that include giving and receiving love, caring deeply for the young and grieving for dead relatives.

African Bush Elephant Reproduction and Life Cycles
African Bush Elephants tend to live relatively long lives, with the average life span being between 60 and 70 years, Female African Bush Elephants reach sexual maturity (are able to reproduce) after 10 or 11 years, but are thought to be most fertile between the ages of 25 and 45. Male African Bush Elephants however, often don't reach sexual maturity until they are nearly 20 years old. After mating and a gestation period of up to 2 years, the female African Bush Elephant gives birth to a single calf (twins have been known but are extremely rare). The African Bush Elephant calf is nursed for 2 years but will remain under the guidance and protection of the herd until it is old enough to support itself (around 6 years old). It is at this point that the tusks of the African Bush Elephant calf will be starting to grow.

African Bush Elephant Diet and Prey
Despite it's immense size, the African Bush Elephant is a herbivorous mammal meaning that it survives on a diet that solely consists of plants and plant matter. The bulk of the African Bush Elephant's diet is comprised of leaves and branches that are stripped off the trees and bushes using it's trunk. The African Bush Elephant also grazes on fruits and grasses and uses it's immense tusks for digging for roots in the ground and to strip the bark of trees. Food is fed into it's mouth using the trunk, and the large, flat teeth of the African Bush Elephant are then the perfect tool for grinding the vegetation and course plants down so that they can then be more easily digested.

African Bush Elephant Predators and Threats
The African Bush Elephant has no real natural predators to threaten its survival, mainly due to it's sheer size and the fact that African Bush Elephants often remain within the safety of the herd. African Bush Elephants are Africa's peaceful giants and can be seen co-inhabiting the African wilderness with other large mammals and birds, without problem. In the animal world, Lions and Hyenas may occasionally be able to pick off a young African Bush Elephant that has been separated from it's mother and have also been known to attack adults that are old and sick and therefore more vulnerable. Humans that poach the African Bush Elephants for their ivory tusks are the biggest threat to their survival along with habitat loss across the continent.

African Bush Elephant Interesting Facts and Features
In the early 19th century, the story of the African Bush Elephant was very different with their being up to 5 million individuals thought to have been roaming the African continent. However due to the increased demand for ivory, Africa's Bush Elephant population is thought to have fallen as much as 85% in some areas. The large ears of the African Bush Elephant are said by some to be shaped somewhat like Africa, but these large flaps of skin are not just for hearing, they are a vital tool in keeping the Elephant cool in the African heat. Like many of the herbivores found throughout Africa, the calves can walk at birth to maximise their chances of survival. An adult African Bush Elephant can drink up to 50 gallons of water every day, and is able to take 1.5 gallons of water into their trunks at at time.

African Bush Elephant Relationship with Humans
Sadly, due to an increase of outside interest in Africa and its exotic wonders (particularly towards the mid 20th century), the African Bush Elephant population took a devastating decline towards extinction. After having been brutally killed by poachers for years for their ivory, African Bush Elephants had vanished from much of their native habitat. In 1989 a worldwide elephant ivory hunting ban fell into place, after the populations had dropped so dramatically across the continent. In northern and central parts of Africa, the African Bush Elephant is now rare and confined to protected areas, and although the story is similar in the south, South African Elephant populations are thought to be doing better with an estimated 300,000 individuals in the region.

African Bush Elephant Conservation Status and Life Today
Today, although recovering, African Bush Elephant populations are still threatened from increasing levels of illegal poaching and habitat destruction. Deforestation in the African Bush Elephant's territory means that the African Bush Elephants lose both their food and shelter making them more vulnerable in the wild. Despite the ban, African Bush Elephants are also constantly threatened by poachers hunting the elephants for their ivory tusks.

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4 Heart-Warming Unusual Interspecies Friendships

We often see animals hunt each other in documentaries or nature shows, but a few of documented cases actually show a much softer side to wild animals, especially when a wild animal known to be a top predator develops an uncommon friendship towards an animal that they’d usually consider prey.

Here are of the most uncommon animal friendship that was documented.

Bella the Labrador and Bubbles the African Elephant

Bubbles might be ten times bigger than Bella, but these two have become an inseparable pair. Bubbles was flown to a reserve in the United Sates after being rescued from poachers. Bella was owned by one of the contractors who worked for the reserve. They like spending time together especially near the water, swimming and playing around.

Wilma the Ostrich and Bea the Giraffe

Besides their long necks, these two animals have absolutely nothing alike. Wilma and Bea have become good friends while staying at the Busch Gardens, a park that offers animal encounters with a huge enclosure that’s around 65 acres wide. Although they have all the space to run around alone or with others that are the same species as they are, they willingly spend time with each other.

Sniffer the Wild Fox and Tinni the Dog

Think of the movie the fox and the hound, but replace the hound with a dog that looks like a German Shepherd. Torgeir Berge, a photographer and Tinni’s owner, first met Sniffer when they were out of a walk in the woods. Since then, the two became best friends. Berge took photos of the unusual pair and complied a book called The Fox and the Dog which he hopes can help ban the fox-fur trade.

Bonedigger the Lion and Milo the Dog

Imagine a tiny dachshund taking care of a lion cub. This is how Milo and Bonedigger’s friendship started. The G.W. Exotic Animal Park found in Wynnewood, Oklahoma has been taking care of Bonedigger, a crippled lion that has a metabolic bone illness, since he was a cub. Milo has also been protecting the lion since then. Years later, Bonedigger is now a 500 pound, fully grown lion and Milo still stays by his side along with two other dachshunds, Angel and Bullet.

Shere Khan the Tiger, Leo the Lion and Baloo the Bear

The touching story behind these three animals starts with a rescue and even a surgery. These three were rescued from an abusive drug dealer who kept them as pets. Baloo even had to go through a surgery to take out a harness which grew into his skin, causing deformities. Because of the traumatic experience, Shere Khan, Leo and Baloo became inseparable. They’re now taken care of by the Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary.  

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Drenched and Dry Africa (African Wildlife Documentary)

Drenched and Dry Africa is a documentary that explores the wildlife in the drenched Okovango Delta compared to the animals on the dry rocks of Namibia . Features the Big 5, other predators, antelopes, birds and much more; filmed, edited and narrated by Hamish Paget-Brown

Video

Youtube | Hamish Paget-Brown

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Super Funny Animal's Compilation ( September 2013 ) HD

Have you seen a animal playing basketball? Watch this cute little guy play and more funny animal video

Video

Youtube | funfunnycomic

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Unfortunate Death of a Mighty Elephant

Sad news came from Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. One of the most well-known African elephant bulls, Satao, was announced dead. Conservationists have been working overtime on making sure all the animals, especially the elephants, are safe. However, more and more poachers have also taken interest in these animals.

Satao was around 45 years old, but he could have lived longer than 60. Tsavo Trust and Kenya Wildlife Services, partner organizations that works together in the Park, wanted to be sure that it was Satao’s body they found before making any announcements. He was found by a sky patrol that was searching the nearby area. According to a press release from Tsavo officials, Satao was no doubt killed by ivory poachers using poisoned arrows. The ivory market has always been in high demand with buyers from far countries wanting their piece of the precious material. It’s sad to loss such a majestic creature for someone’s want to have an ornament on their table.

Because of his sought after tusks, conservationist have been monitoring Satao for the past 18 months. Unfortunately the patrol rangers who works with the park is very underfunded. They don’t even have the proper gear to combat the poachers. Poachers are also desperate to get the money they get with delivering ivory tusks to buyers and would go to extreme means to get them.

Although the death of their dear elephant has left the rangers and conservationist at the Tsavo Park with a heavy heart, they still continue their promise to do what they can to protect and help the animals that inhabit it.

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Gentle Giants – Elephants Today

For something that’s so huge and majestic, it’s strange how secretive elephants are in the wild.  They tend to shy away from humans and keep to themselves. Nowadays, these creatures are being nearly threatened to endangered. If their populations continue to decline, they could end up extinct.

These animals have long been used as symbols and play an important role in the culture of the people living in their natural habitat. For instance, in India, the elephant is considered as a sacred animal. In fact, one of the gods in Hinduism has an elephant head.

There are two species of elephants, African and Asian. Both of these species face a huge threat in habitat loss. Areas where vegetation like grass, bamboo, roots, bark and leaves grow are being destroyed. Some elephants have even gotten into the habit of eating crops like sugarcane and bananas that grow around the area where farmers live.

Like humans, elephants are very social creatures. They build very tight bonds among their herd and are very close to their family members. Herds have a matriarchal system where the group is led by an older and usually bigger female.  Elephants can live in groups of 8 to 100 members, depending on the family size and terrain.

Today, there is an estimate of 35,000 to 40,000 wild Asian elephants, and around 450,000 to 700,000 African elephants. A number of conservation groups are doing their best to save these massive, gentle beasts, but hunters and poachers who kill them for their precious ivory trunks are still rampant.

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Elephants Use Their Trunks to Ace Intelligence Tests

Say it ain't so, Dumbo. Elephants rely on their trunks and not those big ol' ears to find their way to food and likely to solve other puzzles, report scientists. (See: "Elephants at Risk.")

Elephants are renowned for their acute senses of hearing and smell, both of which play central roles in their everyday life. But until now, it was not known how important these senses were for basic, everyday tasks. (See: "Elephant Photo Gallery.")

Source: Here

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Elephants and humans have 'unique bond'

Researchers from the University of St Andrews have found that African elephants seem to have an instinctive understanding of what it means when a human points to something.

Commenting on this new research, Rachel Melling, an animal keeper from Knowsley Safari Park said African elephants were "highly intelligent".

Source: Here

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Elephant Rumbling Explained

If you try to stand beside an elephant you might feel a gush of wind or perhaps a vibration on the chest area. Are you scared? Yes, you have every reason to be, but it’s not the thudding on the chest brought about by your heavy heartbeat. This may be a surprise but the sound comes from the animal situated just beside you. It is called elephant rumbling. Elephants are one of the highly intelligent animals yet they are the ones with the least form of communication. Unlike cats that purr and dogs that bark, elephants have some form of communication and vocalization.

Apart from the trumpeting sounds, the snorts and the croaking that they are popularly known for, elephants produce a rumbling sound. It is actually a deep, vibrating infra sound that is not easily heard by the human ear because it is very low (about twenty hertz) and this rumbling is produced from the elephant’s throat. You may not see them open their mouths, but the rumbling sound comes from the inside. In fact, it is their lively conversation. Try touching their bodies and feel their skin - you will find out that the strong vibration runs throughout the whole body of the elephant, something like a physical buzzing deep within. Most often, when elephants do the trumpet sound, the rumbling follows soon afterwards but not quite easily heard and detected not until you go near one of them.

Rumbling is a form of a long and far distance kind of communication even though it is kilometers apart from another elephant. It helps detect other elephant locations. In determining friends and family members, the intensity of the rumble is relied upon – the stronger the rumble, the closer they are to proximity and kind. Rumbling can be depended upon for protection of one’s kind when there is imminent danger. It is also used for communicating mating behavior.

How far can the rumbling sound be reached? As seen in the Discovery Magazine and Suite 101.com site, a study conducted by Dr Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell, of Stanford University studies elephants in the wild in Nambia, Africa through her nonprofit organization Utopia Scientific revealed “that elephants' low-frequency rumbles can travel over two kilometers, and some studies have suggested that the sounds might travel up to 10 kilometers. Not only do these vibrations travel through the air, but these sound waves can also be transmitted through the ground the elephants stand on. Elephants sense these long- distance seismic vibrations through their feet and also by pressing their trunks to the ground. ”

 Elephant Rumbling Explained

 

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Elephants Wallpapers

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