Zambia's wildlife
Zambia offers a diverse flora - from dry valleys and wet savannahs, to rainforest stands and wetlands. This makes the country an ideal home for many species of wildlife. Zambia's wildlife is among the most diverse in Africa. Up to 1000 different mammal species, 100 reptile species and 600 bird species live in southern Africa and many of them in Zambia, including the so-called "big five" wild animals.
Decline in species richness
However, the Big 5 are now rarely found outside of conservation reserves. The rhino is almost completely extinct, Elephants and lions now only reside in parks, and the African buffalo can only be found in or near reserves. Of the other major wildlife species, only the spotted hyena, Nile crocodile, and hippopotamus are found in large numbers outside parks in Zambia.
Zambia's wildlife
Zambia offers a diverse flora - from dry valleys and wet savannahs, to rainforest stands and wetlands. This makes the country an ideal home for many species of wildlife. Zambia's wildlife is among the most diverse in Africa. Up to 1000 different mammal species, 100 reptile species and 600 bird species live in southern Africa and many of them in Zambia, including the so-called "big five" wild animals.
Decline in species richness
However, the Big 5 are now rarely found outside of conservation reserves. The rhino is almost completely extinct, Elephants and lions now only reside in parks, and the African buffalo can only be found in or near reserves. Of the other major wildlife species, only the spotted hyena, Nile crocodile, and hippopotamus are found in large numbers outside parks in Zambia.
The cause of this decline is the multiplication of the population and the accompanying loss of original habitat for the animals. The large increase in population has also been accompanied by an increase in poverty. This has forced more people to return to rural areas, which in turn puts pressure on the wildlife living there. In addition, corruption in some counties has allowed poaching and uncontrolled exploitation of resources.
Wildlife population
Wildlife living outside parks in Zambia are primarily those that require few human habitat resources. These include primarily birds, smaller mammals such as bats, rodents, mongooses, vervet monkeys, bushbabies, baboons, hippos, warthogs hyenas, reptiles, snakes and lizards.
Subscribe to our newsletter.
