What Animals Live In Namibia?

Namibia is located in the Southern part of Africa on the Atlantic coast. It was the first country on the continent to put the protection of its environment in the constitution. The government allowed citizens living in communal areas to manage their own natural resources through the establishment of communal conservancies. As a result of this, conservancies together with non-profit organizations and government agencies, among other entities, have succeeded in restoring the population of wildlife such as zebras, black rhinos, cheetahs, and lions among others. Initiatives like eco-tourism in the country have generated income for the local communities. Some of the animals found in Namibia include the following.

Black Rhinos

Black rhinos are native to Namibia among other countries such as Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, and South Africa. Although the rhino is known as black, its color is not black, but it varies from gray to brown. The difference between the black rhino and the white rhino is the appearance of the lips. The black rhinos have a pointed upper lip while the white rhino has a squared lip. According to the ministry of environment and tourism of Namibia, the country is home to about a third of all black rhino population in Africa. The black rhinos are listed as critically endangered, although the southwestern black rhino subspecies is listed as vulnerable.

Savannah Elephants

The savanna elephants are the largest of all elephant species, and they can be recognized by the excessively large ears and their front legs, which are relatively shorter compared to their hind legs. The large ear flaps allow the elephant to reduce excess heat from its body. The savannah elephants are found in Namibia among other countries in southern and eastern Africa, such as South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Botswana. They live in families of about ten females and their calves. Several families join together to form a clan of several hundreds of elephants led by a matriarch.

African fish eagle

African fish eagle is the largest species of eagles found in Namibia and other countries across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in areas of large water bodies having an abundant supply of food. It is the national bird of Namibia, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The population of the African fish eagle is estimated to be 300,000 birds distributed in an area covering 18.3 million square kilometers. The eagle appears in the coat of arms of Namibia, the flag of Zimbabwe, the coat of arms of Zambia, the coat of arms of South Sudan on the flag of Zambia.

The South African Ostrich

The South African ostrich is also referred to as black-necked ostrich, and it is endemic to the Southern part of Africa. They are found in Namibia and other countries such as South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana. They are commonly farmed for their feathers, leather, eggs, and meat.

Buffaloes

Buffaloes in Namibia are found in the Zambezi area, Waterberg Plateau Park, and along the banks of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. Old males are typically black, and the females hardly attain the degree of blackness, and they exhibit a tinge of reddish-brown. Male buffalo could weigh as much as 800kgs.

Different animals in Namibia

Namibia is home 115 species of fish, out of which five are endemic. The country also hosts about 250 species of reptiles, out of which 59 are endemic. The country is also home to approximately 50 species of frogs, and six are endemic. There are 1,331 species of arachnids that have been identified in Namibia, and 164 are endemic. It is believed that they could be as much as 5,650 species of arachnids in the country. Records also indicate that there are approximately 6,331 species of insects, out of which 1,541 are endemic. It is estimated that the country could be home to about 35,000 species of insects.