29 of the worlds most popular animals including where you can find them and a bit about them.
African Elephant
Ranging from south of the Sahara to South Africa. The African elephant unlike its cousin in Asia it has two white tusks which are actually upper incisor teeth and grow throughout the animal's life.
Buffalo
Found in Asia and Africa. The buffalo are normally found at any water source and are normally in groups of 100+.
Blue Whale
Found in all oceans. The largest whale and largest creature in the world. Blue whales have loud low-frequency moaning sounds that can be heard in deep ocean waters for more than 160 km!
Caracal
Found in Asia and Africa. A cat like animal but bigger. The caracal is tamed in some parts of India and Iran for hunting because of their speed and agility.
Cheetah
Found in Africa. The fastest land mammal reaching speeds of up to 110km/h. the cheetah is an endangered species.
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin
Found along all tropical coasts. Its group range from 20-200 in the deep waters. It is a very social creature sometimes coming 20m from the shore.
Giraffe
Found in Southern and Central Africa. The tallest animal reaching 5.3m and a 40 cm tongue. The giraffe can reach speeds of 56km/h though they seem to run in slow motion.
Gorilla
Found in the forests of equatorial Africa from the western lowlands near the Cameroon coast. The largest and strongest ape but a very shy animal. They live in groups of 5-15. the gorilla is an endangered species because of the continued poaching.
Hippopotamus
Found only in Africa. These animals can swim and live on dry land though you will mostly see them in the water. The hippopotamus can reach a weight of 4 500 kg.
Hyena.
Found in Southern and Central Africa. A dog-like carnivorous African mammal, with one of the strongest jaws on earth. The hyena is also known as the laughing hyena because it imitates the laughing of a human.
Jaguar
Found in the southern USA and northern Argentina. The largest and strongest of the American cats. Today the jaguar is extensively hunted because of ranchers' claims that it attacks cattle, although studies indicate that such attacks rarely happen.
Kangaroo
Found in Australia. A large kangaroo can cover a distance of 9 m (30 ft) in a single leap. The female kangaroo has a special abdominal pouch which the baby kangaroo is kept in after birth.
Killer Whale
Found in all oceans. The largest of the dolphin family. They prey on squid and marine birds but also have been seen taking down a blue whale.
Koala
Found in the forests of eastern Australia. Resembles a teddy bear but is actually a marsupial. The koalas were formally killed for their fur but are now protected.
Leopard
Found throughout Asia and Africa. One of south Africa's big five animals and is known for its ambushing technique where it jumps out of a tree an don to its prey.
Lion
Found throughout Asia and Africa. Normally referred to as the king of the beasts. This powerful animal is now extinct in Europe, north Africa and some parts of southern Asia.
Meerkat
Found in southern Africa. Meerkats are known for their highly social behavior and their upright posture. In South Africa the meerkats are often kept as pets.
Narwhal
Found only in the high artic seas. The most peculiar thing about narwhals is that the males have a long horn coming out the face. They are hunted for these horns as they are highly valuable.
Okapi
Found deep in the DRC rainforests. The only living relative of the giraffe. The body is covered in a dark purple fur with white stripes down its rump and legs.
Panda
Found in China and Tibet. The reason to see pandas is because of their shy behavior and the fact that there is very few of them living today.
Emperor Penguin
Found all over Antarctica. The worlds largest penguin. The emperor penguin has one chick at a time. The male will look after the egg for a period of two months while the female is at sea. The chicks gather in large groups just like a school or day care.
Pinta Island Tortoise
Found on the island of Galapagos. The Pinta island tortoise is also known as the Giant tortoise and is probably the best known of all the Galapagos animals. Galapagos giant tortoises can weigh up to 250 kg and live for more than 100 years. They are thought to belong to just one species, Geochelone elephantopus, with 14 different races or sub-species, three of which are believed to be extinct.
Duck-Billed Platypus
Found in Tasmania and southern and eastern Australia. The animal has a bill that resembles a duck's bill but is actually an elongated snout covered with soft, moist, leathery skin. The duck-billed platypus is a shy creature and is rarely observed. They are excellent swimmers and divers.
Polar Bear
Found throughout the Polar Basin, extending southward into Hudson Bay and James Bay of Canada, and along the east coast of Greenland. The largest polar bear was 800 kg in mass but average bears are only 350 kg. Polar bears are constantly on the move as the ice drifts. The polar bears are unusually clever and will normally ignore humans entirely.
Rhinoceros
Found throughout Asia and Africa. An animal that may resemble the triceratops except the rhino only has 2 horns. Rhinos are solitary animals that may also form small herds when living in grassland areas. They have been known to charge cars when extremely aggravated but this rarely occurs.
Springbok
Found in southern Africa. A small antelope of southern African plains. It is well known through South Africa as it is their national animal and is on the Rugby badge. The Springbok, when startled will either spit at the predator as a warning while the hair on its back will rise to about 5 cm.
Tiger
Found in Asia. The largest member of the cat family and one of the only cats that enjoys swimming. Today many tigers are hunted due to the fact that they will eat farmers livestock and if nearing starvation will sometimes eat people.
Wild Dog
Found in southern Africa. A small carnivorous dog. Today it is highly endangered and is rarely seen. The wild dog much like the hyena travels in groups from 5-20 though there used to be packs of up to 200.
Zebra
Found in southern Africa. Related to the horse but is smaller in size. The zebra has white and black stripes going down his body. The zebras are highly social creature as they will sometimes be seen graving with other animals.
