Mammal

The reindeer (or Rangifer tarandus) is a species of ungulate that lives throughout the Arctic and Sub Arctic – specifically in Canada, The USA (Alaska), Russia, Norway, Finland and Greenland. A reindeer’s appearance changes depending on their origin and the time of year, but generally they have a brown and white coat, and a face with a white underside and muzzle, often with darker coloration on the snout. They also have large antlers, multiple points of which are covered in brown velvet. The males are between 1.8 and 2.1m long, weighing between 159 and 182kg.

The polar bear (or Ursus maritimus) is a large ursine species that lives in the Arctic Circle and the sub-Arctic regions. With a completely white coat, dark eyes and a dark nose, they are stocky in build, with sturdy legs and large feet that are well adapted to swimming. To minimise heat loss, the bears have small ears and a short tail. Males are between 2.4 and 3.0m long, weighing between 350 and 750kg; females are between 1.8 and 2.4m long, weighing 150 to 250kg. Both sexes feed on both ringed and bearded seals.

The Dall sheep (or Ovis dalli) – also known as ‘Dall’s sheep’ or ‘thinhorn sheep’ –  is a species of wild sheep that lives on the mountain meadows of Alaska (USA), Yukon and British Colombia (Canada). They are white to pale brown in colour, with yellow-brown horns, and are sexually dimorphic; the males being significantly larger than the females and with much thicker, curlier horns. Males measure between 1.3 and 1.8m long and weigh between 73 and 113kg, while females measure between 1.3 and 1.6m and weigh 46 to 50kg.

Arctic wolves (or Canis lupus arctos) are a large canid species that live in Northern Canada and Greenland. Also known as white wolves, they are large pack predators that feed primarily on muskoxen and arctic hares, although they may also eat foxes, birds and bear cubs, as well as occasionally scavenging carrion.

The Western lowland gorilla (or Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is native to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo and Southern Niger, living and foraging in the rainforests, swamp forests and abandoned farmland there. They have black skin, dark forward-facing eyes, a prominent brow ridge, large nostrils and coarse hair which covers most of their body except the face, ears, hands and feet. Males are much larger than females and, when they mature, the hair on their backs becomes grey and they are identified as ‘silverbacks’.

The Western chimpanzee (or Pan troglodytes verus) is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee native to the forests of Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast. Along with bonobos, they are the closest living relatives of human beings, sharing more than 98% of our DNA. 

Although there are an estimated 20,000 lions in the African wilderness today, the West African lion (or Panthera leo senegalensis) numbers far, far fewer. Only 250 still remain across the entire continent, making the subspecies one of the most threatened of its kind in the world. It currently falls under the ‘critically endangered’ conservation status.

Timber wolves (or Canis lupus) are a large canid species that live across most of the Northern hemisphere. Also known as grey wolves, they are large generalist predators that will eat most prey they can catch, and which are capable of living in a wide variety of different environments. The appearance of timber wolves can vary widely and is mostly dependent on which population is being observed. There are 38 subspecies, each with adaptations to their specific environments, thus causing their varied appearance.

Thomson’s gazelle (or Eudorcas thomsonii) is a small species of grazing mammal that lives in Africa’s Serengeti regions of Tanzania and Kenya. It prefers to live in dry grassland – although is also found in woodland – and has a tan coloured back, white underside and a dark stripe on their flank. They also have a tan muzzle, white cheeks and eye region, as well as black streaks running from their eyes to the start of the muzzle.

The springbok (or Antidorcas marsupialis) is a small species of antelope native to the savannahs of Southern Africa. They have lyre-shaped black horns, a tan coat with dark brown markings, a white belly and face, with dark brown tear marks from their eyes to their muzzle. Males and females are a similar size and both have horns, although the male’s are more robust.