Mammal

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.

The spotted hyena, also known as the laughing hyena (Crocuta crocuta), is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. They are generalist predators that can live in most environments – although they are not found in rainforests or deserts – and their strong forelimbs, well-muscled neck, and comparatively weaker hindlimbs give them a distinctive appearance. Their head is broad with a wide snout and they have sandy fur with black spots, as well as a mane down their neck to their mid back.

Identifiable by its white to grey fur, black rosettes across its body, and black spots on its face, the snow leopard (or Panthera uncia) lives in the mountains of Nepal, Tibet, Northern India, Southern Siberia, Pakistan, Bhutan and Mongolia. The animal’s fur is extremely thick and well insulated, which helps it comfortably withstand sub-zero temperatures as low as -25oC. They mostly feed on mountain goats and sheep, but also hunt birds and rodents.

The Siberian tiger (or Panthera tigris altaica) – also known as the Amur tiger – is the largest of the cat species. It is characterised by orange-yellow fur with thin, black stripes and a paler undercoat on its belly. Its head is also very large, with strong jaws containing large canines.

The sable antelope (or Hippotragus niger) is a species of ungulate that lives in South-Eastern Africa. They have long, notched horns that curve backwards from their face, a tan-to-black coat with a white underbelly, chin and throat, as well as white tear-marks on their face. Males are larger, darker and have longer horns than females. Both sexes graze and browse on the savannah, preferring lightly wooded areas to completely open ones.

Like all species of lemur, the ring-tailed lemur (or Lemur catta) is native to Madagascar and is not naturally found anywhere else in the world. Ring-tailed lemurs have a pointed muzzle, cat-like ears, and a long tail that has 12 or 13 white rings, 13 or 14 black rings, and a tip that is always black. They are usually between 39 and 46cm in size with a tail of 56 to 63cm and live in groups called ‘troops’ that will travel and forage together. Ring-tailed lemurs are omnivorous and will eat fruit, leaves, insects and most other food they can find.