Mammal

The gemsbok (or Oryx gazella) is a species of antelope that lives in the Kalahari and Namib deserts of Southern Africa. They are characterised by several visual features: long, slim and spiral horns; a black face with white markings over the eyes and muzzle; a grey-brown coat with black markings on the upper legs and back; as well as white ‘socks’. On average, Gemsbok stand between 1.1 and 1.3m tall at the shoulder, measure 1.9 to 2.4m long and have an average horn length of 85cm. The males are also slightly larger and significantly heavier than the females.

The Formosan black bear (or Ursus thibetanus formosanus) is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear that’s endemic to Taiwan. They have a stocky build with black fur, rounded ears and a long straight snout; plus their most characteristic and distinct visual feature, which is a V-shaped white patch on their chest. The Formosan black bears are sexually dimorphic; in this case the males are much larger than females. The former weigh and measure an average of 135kg and 1.7m, and the latter average 70kg and 1.35m.

The common warthog (or Phacochoerus africanus) lives throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in a wide variety of environments. Although not currently endangered, the species is vulnerable to drought and hunting, as they’re often viewed by humans as pests. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, they can spread disease to livestock. Secondly, they can destroy crops on farmland when rooting with their tusks. This has resulted in some pockets of the population being wiped out.

The common hippopotamus (or Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large mammal native to the rivers of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are large, water dwelling animals with long protruding teeth, nostrils on the top of their snout, small ears and thick grey-brown skin. Males are 4 to 5m long and weigh between 1500 and 2000kg, whereas females measure between 3.3 and 4.2m, and weigh 1000 to 1500kg.

The Chinese pangolin (or Manis pentadactyla) is a critically endangered insectivorous species native to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Taiwan and Southern China. They are small, secretive and slow-moving animals, their most distinguishing feature being their layered armour-like keratinous scales. Chinese pangolins are between 40 and 58cm long with a tail measuring 25 to 38cm. They spend their days sleeping in their burrows, and their nights foraging for ants, termites and other insects.

The cheetah (or Acinonyx jubatus) lives in the savannahs and dry woodlands of Central and Southern Africa. They can be recognised by their slim body, deep chest, thin legs and tail, as well as dark ‘tear marks’ on the face. Not to mention their most distinctive feature – their spots. Cheetahs are famous for being the fastest land animal, reaching up to 70mph when pursuing their prey. This is generally medium-sized mammals such as gazelle and impala.

The orangutan (or Pongo pygmaeus) is native to the island of Borneo, their range also spanning areas of Bornean Indonesia and Malaysia. They are large apes identifiable by their red fur and brown skin, while mature males also have distinct, large cheek pads and throat pouches used for making loud vocalizations to attract females. They are incredibly intelligent animals and have been observed creating and using tools in the wild to acquire food. However, they cannot swim and their range is often limited by rivers that they cannot cross in the wild.

Bonobos (or Pan paniscus) live in the forests and wetlands of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and are most closely related to the common chimpanzee (or Pan troglodytes). Out of any species in nature, these two types of ape have the most DNA in common with humans. Bonobos have pink lips and dark, forward-facing eyes, small ears, a flat nose with wide nostrils, as well as black hair. Male bonobos are larger than females – averaging 73 to 83cm tall and weighing 39kg – whereas a female stands 70 to 76cm tall and weighs 31kg.

The bongo (or Tragelaphus erycerus) is a secretive, forest-dwelling antelope that lives in the woodlands of Central Africa. They have a tan-to-red coloured coat, white vertical stripes on their torso and pale inner legs, large ears, and a yellow chevron under their eyes. Their main distinguishing features are their large, spiraling, vertical horns. While males and females are a similar size – between 1.1 and 1.3m tall at the shoulder, and 2.15 and 3.15m long – the males are much heavier, averaging 310kg compared to a female’s 190kg.

The black wildebeest (or Connochaetes gnou) is a large ungulate species native to Southern Africa, also known as the ‘gnu’ after the distinctive noise they make when alarmed. The species is recognisable by a brown-black coat and L-shaped horns, and males can be distinguished from females due to their darker colour and larger size. Both sexes have thick, bushy manes and a long horse-like tail, measuring between 1.7 and 2.2m long, 1.06 to 1.21m tall at the shoulder, and weighing 120 to 193kg.