Amazing Animals Cameroon

Cameroon is an African country at the crossroads of the western and central parts of the continent.

Native Animals

African bush elephants are the largest living land animals on Earth. They can be seen in herds of males, females, and offspring. They move between a variety of habitats, including forests, dry and seasonally flooded grasslands, woodlands, shrubland, wetlands, and mountain slopes. In Mali and Namibia, they also inhabit desert and semi-desert areas. Savanna elephants live in a rather complex social hierarchy. These animals gather into family units, consisting of about 10 females and their offspring. African bush elephants are herbivores and feed on leaves, roots, bark, grasses, fruit, and other vegetation.

African leopards are among the most famous and iconic large carnivores of Africa alongsidethe lions and cheetahs. They inhabit a variety of areas from rainforests to deserts. They can be seen resting among trees.

African pygmy squirrels are among the smallest animals on Earth. They are found in tropical rainforests. These squirrels live in trees and are diurnal, spending time searching for food. These are the only species of squirrels that can travel upside down and right-side up along the branches of trees. These squirrels eat scrapings from bark, insects, and fruit.

Black rhinoceroses were once almost extinct but are now increasing. They are herbivores that eat leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit.

Chimpanzees are a species of great ape native to Central and West Africa. They live in groups of 15 to 150. They inhabit tropical forests and savannas of equatorial Africa. They are highly social and live in flexible groups known as communities. Chimpanzees eat a wide variety of fruits, including mangoes, bananas, watermelons, and apples.

Cross River gorillas are among the most emblematic animals of Central Africa. They inhabit the forests and hills along the Cameroon-Nigeria border, at the source of the Cross River. They usually live in small groups of 4-7 individuals with a few males and a few female members. Their diet usually consists of fruit, but when it is not in season, they prefer terrestrial herbs and the bark and leaves of climbers and trees.

Drills are a species of primates related to mandrills and baboons. They live in large groups of 20 to 30, with one dominant male, multiple males and females, and all their offspring. The natural range of this species is restricted to Cameroon, where these animals occur north of the Sanaga River and on the southwestern edge of the coastal island of Fernando Poo (Bioko).  They typically form small groups of 20 individuals. These troops consist of one dominant male and multiple related females with their offspring. Drills are omnivores and feed on a variety of food such as fruit, leaves, and invertebrates, mostly termites.

Northern lions are a subspecies of the African lion. They are solitary or live with up to 3 other males and rest, hunt, and feed together. Females live in groups of up to 12 with their cubs.

Birds

Common ostriches are a species of large flightless birds native to most of Africa. They are the largest living bird species. Their diet is made mostly of plant matter, but they will also eat reptiles and invertebrates. They're known for their very fast running, up to 70 km/h.

Greater flamingos are the most famous and widespread and the largest species of flamingos on Earth. They are easily identifiable, colorful wading birds and are often found flocking together with the Lesser Flamingo in the great salt lakes across Africa. Greater Flamingos are found in different saltwater habitats, including salt or alkaline lakes, estuaries, shallow coastal lagoons, and mudflats. These birds are omnivores and feed on mollusks, plankton, crabs, tiny fish, and insect larvae.

Aquatic Animals

African manatees are a species of manatee endemic to the coasts of western Africa. They inhabit oceans but also rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal estuaries. These are herbivores but also feed on fish, mollusks, and clams.

Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world as well as the heaviest reptiles. They eat primarily soft-bodied open-ocean prey, such as jellyfish.