The wildlife of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

refers to its

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is '' flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. ...

. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals. Mammal species include

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

(''Panthera leo''), cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'')

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...

(''Hippopotamus amphibius''), African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer''),

wildebeest Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toe ...

(''Connochaetes''),

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body ...

(''Loxodonta africana''), zebra (''Equus''),

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, '' Giraffa camelopardal ...

(''Giraffa''), and

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct specie ...

. Kenya has a very diverse population of birds, including

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbea ...

and

common ostrich The common ostrich (''Struthio camelus''), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain large areas of Africa and is the largest living bird species. It is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members ...

(''Struthio camelus'').

Fauna

Mammals

Large plains herbivores

; Common eland: The largest of the antelope in the savannah, lives in most national parks and reserves. ;

Wildebeest Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toe ...

:Share grazing with zebra and stay in groups, lives in places like Nairobi National Park and Amboseli National Park. It also visits

Masaai Mara Maasai Mara, also sometimes spelled Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people, the ancest ...

National Reserve in great numbers during the spring as part of the annual Great Migration. ; African buffalo: Also known as the African buffalo are known to be the most dangerous animal in Africa. They can be found in most national parks and reserves. ; Black rhinoceros and white rhinoceros:Most

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

and

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

species are being relocated to safe places because of their endangerment, but there are still many wild rhino roaming Kenya. Although there are few places for visitors to see them, you are sure to find black rhinos at Nairobi National Park, Tsavo National Park,

and Aberdares National Park. Both species abundant in Lake Nakuru National Park and Lewa Downs. ;

Elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

: Found in many different habitats in Kenya. They can be found from the hot coastlands to the cool moorlands of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya range. A few of these places are Aberdares National Park,

Meru National Park Meru National Park is a Kenyan national park located east of Meru, from Nairobi. Covering an area of , it is one best known national parks in Kenya. Rainfall in this area is abundant with in the west of the park and in the east. The rainfall r ...

, Samburu National Reserve,

Maasai Mara Maasai Mara, also sometimes spelled Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people, the ances ...

, Tsavo National Park and Amboseli National Park. ;

Giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, '' Giraffa camelopardal ...

: Have little competition for the tender leaves of the

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...

tree, their principal food.

Aquatic herbivores

;

Hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...

: Irritable and normally cranky, are very dangerous. They are found in many of Kenya's basins, swamps, and areas with water. Some other places to find them are Nairobi National Park, Meru National Park, and Kora National Park.

Medium-sized herbivores

;

Impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus ''Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Ger ...

: A medium-sized antelope often found in large herds, and known for its leaping ability. ;

Common warthog The common warthog (''Phacochoerus africanus'') is a wild member of the pig family (Suidae) found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, it was commonly treated as a subspecies of ''P. aethiopicus'', but today th ...

: A type of wild pig. ;

Waterbuck The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies a ...

: A medium-sized antelope often found near sources of water, are known for excreting a scent that makes them unappetizing to most predators. Two subspecies, the Common and Defassa waterbuck are present in Kenya. ; Lesser Kudu: The smaller relative of the significantly larger Greater Kudu, the Lesser Kudu is often a rare sight but common throughout the drier parts of the country.

Small herbivores

;

Suni The Suni (''Nesotragus moschatus'') is a small antelope. It occurs in dense underbrush from central Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Suni are around high at the shoulder and weigh . They are usually reddish brown, darker on their back t ...

: A small antelope similar to the oribi and duiker. They travel in groups of two or alone. They can be found in different areas in Kenya. ; Oribi: They travel alone or in groups of two or three. They are similar to the suni and the duiker. ;

Duiker A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophinae ...

: Normally travel alone but sometimes go in pairs. They are similar to the suni and oribi. ; Thomson's gazelle and Grant's gazelle: A common sight across the plains of Kenya, they are often found in small or large herds and are the favored prey of the cheetah. Two species, the more common Thomson's gazelle and the larger Grant's gazelle live across the country.

Predators

;

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

: A powerful predator who uses its power to its advantage. It can be found all over Kenya, and in places such as Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, and

Kora National Park Kora National Park is located in Tana River County, Kenya. The park covers an area of 1,788 square kilometres. It is located 125 kilometres east of Mount Kenya. The park was initially gazetted as a nature reserve in 1973. It was gazetted as a nat ...

. ;

Leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

: Another predator which, like the lion, uses brute force. They hunt at night and use their eyesight to spot and kill their prey. They can be found at Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park,

, Kora National Park and over almost all of Kenya. ; Cheetah: A big cat that lives in places like Nairobi National Park, Meru National Park and Kora National Park. ; African wild dog: A predator that roams over parts of Kenya in packs. The African Wild Dog Conservancy is actively engaged in helping to save this endangered species from extinction. ;

Spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

: A powerful predator that sometimes travels in groups. They have the strongest jaw pressure and most powerful bite out of any animal in Kenya except for the Nile crocodile. Both the spotted and striped variety of hyena can be found at Nairobi National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, and Kora National Park. ; Serval: One of the small wild cat species in Kenya. ; Genet: A small viverrid that lives in Kenya. ;

Black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas),'' also called the silver-backed jackal, is a medium-sized canine native to eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly 900 kilometers. One region includes the southe ...

: A small dog-like predator that travels in small groups across Kenya.

Birds

Reptiles

;

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, ...

: A large, powerful reptile that has been known to attack and kill people. It inhabits many areas of Kenya.

National Parks

* Nairobi National Park * Mount Kenya National Park *

* Sibiloi National Park * Amboseli National Park * Tsavo East National Park * Tsavo West National Park * Lake Nakuru National Park * Hell's Gate National Park *

Chyulu Hills National Park The Chyulu Hills is a mountain range in Makueni County in southeastern Kenya. It forms a 100-kilometre-long volcanic field in an elongated northeast–southwest direction. Its highest peak is 2,188 metres high. The Leviathan Cave (also ...

* Marsabit National Park * Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park * Aberdare National Park * Saiwa Swamp National Park

Reserves

* Samburu National Reserve *

Buffalo Springs National Reserve Buffalo Springs National Reserve is a protected area in the Isiolo County in northern Kenya. Organization The reserve was established in 1948 as part of the Samburu - Isiolo Game Reserve, and the present boundaries were established in 1985. The r ...

Shaba National Reserve Shaba National Reserve is a protected area in Isiolo County in northern Kenya to the east of the Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. Together, the three reserves form a large protected area. The Shaba reserve has dramatic scenery in ...

* Shimba Hills National Reserve *

Kisumu Impala Sanctuary Located within Kisumu city, Kisumu Impala Sanctuary lies on the shores of Lake Victoria, covering less than 1km2. The facility was gazetted in 1992. In March 2010, the sanctuary was branded as ‘a lakeshore walk with impalas'. There are a divers ...

* Lewa Downs ← a conservancy

References

External links

Kenya Wildlife Service, a state corporation

Wild Dog Conservancy, a nonprofit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of Kenya Tourism in Kenya