Wild dogs feeding

African animals: how endangered are they? (Infographic)

Africa is home to a variety of species of animals, yet whether it’s because of the poaching crisis, loss of habitat, deforestation or simply human greed, there is a large number of species which are on the endangered list. At African Conservation Experience we work in conjunction with many conservation projects that strive to provide support to these endangered animals and work towards increasing their numbers, improving their safety and well-being and allowing them to flourish in Africa.

In our latest infographic, we identify the endangered animals of Africa, such as the black rhino and provide some key information on their status.

Facts on endangered African animals

Infographic: Endangered African animals

Read the stats from the endangered African animals infographic below!

Endangered African animals fact file 

Mountain Gorilla

Status: Critically Endangered 

Population: 800 - 900

Scientific name: Gorilla beringei graueri

Height: 4 - 5.5ft (when standing on two feet)

Weight: Up to 440lbs

Habitat: Mountain forests in Central Africa

Black rhino

Status: Critically endangered 

Population: Fewer than 5,000

Scientific name: Diceros bicornis

Height: 5.2ft

Weight: 1760 - 3080lbs

Habitat: Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, deserts, and xeric shrublands

Find me at Phinda Wildlife Research Project!

White-backed vulture

Status: Critically Endangered

Population: 270,000

Scientific name: Gyps africanus

Height: 31 - 39in long and 6 - 7ft wingspan

Weight: 9.3 - 15.9lbs

Habitat: Trees on the savannah

Find me at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre!

African wild dog

Status: Endangered

Population: 6,600

Scientific name: Lycaon pictus

Height: 30in

Weight: 40 - 70lbs

Habitat: All parts of the savanna biome

Find me at Okavango Wilderness Project!

Chimpanzee

Status: Endangered

Population: Up to 299,700

Scientific name: Pan troglodytes

Height: 1.2m

Weight: 40 - 60kg

Habitat: Moist and dry forests

Cheetah

Status: Vulnerable 

Population: Unknown

Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus

Height: 44 - 53in

Weight: Up to 140lbs

Habitat: Desert, semi-desert, and open grassland

Find me at Phinda Wildlife Research Project!

African elephant

Status: Vulnerable

Population: 415,000

Scientific name: Loxodonta africana

Height: 3.3m 

Weight: Up to 6 tonnes

Habitat: Grassy plains and woodland

Find me at Okavango Wilderness Project!

Brown hyena

Status: Near Threatened

Population: Unknown

Scientific name: Hyaena brunnea

Height: 51 - 63in long

Weight: Up to 96lbs

Habitat: Desert, semi-desert, and woodland savannahs

Bonobo

Status: Endangered

Population: Up to 50,000

Scientific name: Pan paniscus

Height: 28 - 35in

Weight: 68 - 86lbs

Habitat: Moist forests of the DRC

Did you know?

  • Black rhinos use communal dung heaps, sometimes scraping their feet in the heaps, so that they can leave a scent at they travel.
  • An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things-especially a potential meal.
  • An elephant trunk contains about 100,000 different muscles. African elephants have two fingerlike features on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items.