Skip to content
tracks

Wild Animals in South Africa

379 species are recorded more often in South Africa than anywhere else — from the much-photographed African Bush Elephant to the seldom-seen Mountain Reedbuck. Every one is backed by research-grade iNaturalist sightings.

  • 204 birds
  • 97 mammals
  • 40 reptiles
  • 35 amphibians
  • 2 ray-finned fish
  • 1 cartilaginous fish

All 379 species recorded in South Africa

Ordered by how often people have recorded them. Tap any animal for its full field-guide entry.

Wild animals in South Africa: 17 questions answered

Answered from this page’s 379-species slice of the guide. Counts describe the guide, not a national checklist.

What wild animals live in South Africa?

This field guide lists 379 wild animals whose research-grade iNaturalist sightings are concentrated in South Africa: 204 birds, 97 mammals, 40 reptiles, 35 amphibians and 2 other groups. The most frequently recorded are African Bush Elephant, Plains Zebra and Helmeted Guineafowl. Every species below has its own page with a photo, its scientific name, its conservation status and where it is most observed.

How many wild animal species are listed for South Africa?

379 — the species in the Tracks field guide for which South Africa holds the most verified sightings. This is not a complete national checklist: a species recorded even more often in a neighbouring country appears on that country's page instead, and the Tracks app itself catalogues 40,286 species worldwide. Between them these 379 species account for 1,018,766 research-grade observations.

What is the most commonly seen wild animal in South Africa?

African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana), with 19,843 research-grade observations on iNaturalist — more than any other species on this page. Next most recorded are Plains Zebra and Helmeted Guineafowl. "Most recorded" means most often photographed and verified by people, which is a good proxy for what a visitor is likely to actually see.

What is the rarest animal in South Africa?

On the Tracks rarity scale the rarest species on this page is Mountain Reedbuck (Epic tier), with 399 recorded sightings. Tracks rarity is based on how often a species is actually encountered rather than on its conservation status, so a rare card is a hard animal to find, not necessarily a threatened one.

What wild mammals live in South Africa?

This guide lists 97 mammals for South Africa, most-recorded first: African Bush Elephant, Plains Zebra, Impala, Common Hippopotamus, Common Warthog and Southern Giraffe, plus 91 more on this page.

What birds can you see in South Africa?

204 bird species are listed for South Africa. The most frequently recorded are Helmeted Guineafowl, African Sacred Ibis, Common Bulbul, Hadada, Blacksmith Lapwing and Common Ostrich, plus 198 more on this page.

Are there reptiles and amphibians in South Africa?

Yes — 40 reptiles and 35 amphibians are listed for South Africa. They include Southern Rock Agama, Angulate Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise, Nile Crocodile, Cape Dwarf Gecko and Cape Dwarf Chameleon, plus 69 more on this page. Reptiles and amphibians are under-recorded almost everywhere relative to birds and mammals, so treat these counts as a floor.

Are there dangerous wild animals in South Africa?

11 of the species on this page belong to the groups behind most wildlife injuries — large carnivores, crocodilians, sharks, venomous snakes and big herbivores. They are African Bush Elephant, Common Hippopotamus, Nile Crocodile, Leopard, Puff Adder and Boomslang, plus 5 more on this page. Nearly all of them avoid people given the chance. The practical rules are the same everywhere: never approach, corner or feed a wild animal, keep dogs leashed, store food securely, and give any animal with young a wide berth.

Are there venomous snakes in South Africa?

Yes. 4 of the snakes listed for South Africa belong to venomous groups: Puff Adder, Boomslang, Cape Cobra and Rhombic Night Adder. Snake bites are overwhelmingly a result of handling or trying to kill the animal. Treat every snake you can't identify as venomous, back away, and let it leave.

What marine and coastal animals live around South Africa?

3 marine or coastal species are listed for South Africa, including Southern Right Whale, Bryde's Whale and Heaviside's Dolphin.

Which animals in South Africa are endangered?

19 of the species on this page are IUCN-listed as Vulnerable or worse: White-backed Vulture (Critically Endangered), African Penguin (Critically Endangered), Hooded Vulture (Critically Endangered), African Bush Elephant (Endangered), Western Leopard Toad (Endangered) and Bateleur (Endangered), plus 13 more. Conservation status is shown on every species page.

What insects and spiders live in South Africa?

No insects or arachnids appear on this page — the guide's South Africa list is mostly birds and mammals. A species is shown on the page of whichever country records it most, so any insects or arachnids recorded in South Africa either sit on another country's page or fall outside the guide's 379-species slice.

When is the best time to see wild animals in South Africa?

Dawn and the hour before dusk, almost everywhere and for almost every species: most mammals are crepuscular, and birds are loudest and most active in the first hours of daylight. Weather matters as much as season — overcast, still mornings after rain are productive, and hot midday hours are the worst time to be out looking. Each species page links to its iNaturalist record, where the observation dates show when people in South Africa actually recorded it.

Where can you see wild animals in South Africa?

National parks, nature reserves and protected wetlands concentrate both animals and the people recording them, but the edges are often better than the core: hedgerows, riverbanks, coastal paths, and the scrubby margins between habitats. Cities count too — a large share of the sightings behind this page were logged in parks, gardens and suburbs. Because every species here is backed by iNaturalist records, its species page links straight to the map of where it has actually been observed.

How do I identify a wild animal I saw in South Africa?

Photograph it if you safely can, and note the size, habitat and behaviour. The Tracks app scans the area you're standing in and shows the animals people have actually recorded there, which narrows an identification far faster than searching a national list. If the animal you saw isn't in Tracks yet, add it on iNaturalist: its community will help you put a name to it, and because Tracks is built from iNaturalist's research-grade observations, a sighting verified there feeds back into the data behind pages like this one.

Can I feed wild animals in South Africa?

No — and in many places it is also illegal. Feeding is the fastest way to ruin a wild animal. It teaches them to associate people with food, so they lose their wariness and start working car parks, campsites and picnic tables; a habituated animal that begins grabbing food gets labelled a nuisance and is usually destroyed or hit by a road vehicle. Human food is the wrong food too: bread and processed snacks cause malnutrition and wing deformities in birds and gut damage in mammals. And artificial feeding concentrates animals at densities they would never reach naturally, which is how disease spreads through a local population. If you want wildlife closer to you in South Africa, do it by habitat — native planting, a clean water dish, leaving dead wood and leaf litter alone — which supports animals without teaching them to approach people.

Is it safe to approach wild animals in South Africa?

No. Keep your distance from every wild animal, however calm it looks — a good rule of thumb is that if the animal changes its behaviour because of you, you are already too close. Don't handle snakes or reptiles, keep dogs leashed near wildlife, and if you find an animal that is injured or appears orphaned, contact a local wildlife rescue or the relevant authority rather than picking it up.

Wild animals in other countries

All 113 countries