Amazing Animals the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wildlife in Central Africa
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of Africa’s most biodiverse countries. It is home to the mountain gorillas. The country is home to the oldest national park in Africa, Virunga National Park. The diverse landscape includes rainforests, savannas, wetlands, and volcanic landscapes.
African bush or savanna elephants are the biggest land animals in the DRC. They are the largest of three elephant species. Due to their size, an elephant’s most significant requirement is food. They spend most of their time eating, and a single individual may eat 350 pounds (158 kg) of vegetation daily.
African forest buffaloes are found in various habitats, including marshes, grassy savannas, and wet rainforests.
Greater kudus are a species that is one of the biggest animals in the DRC. They are tall with impressive horns. Greater kudus are social and surprisingly vocal animals. You may hear them make whimpers, bleats, barks, grunts, and hums. The females stay together in groups of up to 25 with their offspring, and the males gather in small herds of 2-10.
Honey badgers are among the toughest animals in the DRC. They have a reputation of living anywhere, eating anything to survive, and withstanding all. They prey on snakes, birds, eggs, frogs, and small rodents. Honey badgers also raid honeybeehives for honey and larvae. These animals might look cute, but they are very aggressive.
Impalas can be seen in grasslands and savannas. They are mostly grazers but if necessary will switch to shrubs, trees, and other plants.
Leopards have color patterns that help these carnivores to remain camouflaged in various habitats. These big cats have tremendous strength and can tackle prey up to ten times their own weight. They can swim, climb trees, and descend from them head first, run at bursts of 60 kph (36 mph), and jump.
Lions are the most famous animals located in the DRC. They hunt in groups known as prides and can take down large herbivores like zebras, impalas, gazelles, wildebeests, giraffes, and buffalo.
Rusty-spotted genets are small omnivores closely related to mongooses. They’re nocturnal and solitary but occasionally hunt or live in pairs.Their favorite food is rodents. These mammals are semi-arboreal, meaning they spend much of their time in the trees and prefer to live in densely forested areas.
Servals have a coppery, golden-yellow, or buff coat with some white on their faces and undersides, black tail and ear tips, black rings on their tail, and various black stripes and spots on their bodies. They have a playful nature similar to domestic cats. They hunt by using their large ears and acute hearing to locate prey, sometimes remaining motionless for up to 15 minutes while they listen.Servals are solitary creatures that spend most of their time in reed beds and grasslands but will also roam through thickets, forest brush, streams, and marshes.
Side-striped jackals (pictured above) live in swamps, marshes, humid savannas, and wooded areas. These animals are nocturnal. Jackals are incredibly vocal creatures that make various noises, including yipping to communicate with other jackals. They are omnivorous scavengers. While their diet varies with location and season, they commonly feed on insects, small vertebrates, fruit, carrion, and plant material.
Spotted hyenas have yellowish or gray coats, and dark brown spots cover their bodies. They have massive necks, large heads, rounded ears, and the front legs are longer than their back legs.These animals live in clans of 3-80, with females leading the clan.
Warthogs live in various habitats in the DRC, including wooded savannas, grass steppes, and semi-deserts. But their lack of body fat and fur means they need certain landscape features to help them regulate their body temperatures. They feed on grasses but also use their strong, blunt snouts and tusks to dig up and eat tubers, bulbs, and roots.
Aquatic Animals
African clawless otters are among the most playful animals in the DRC. They are an aquatic species living around rivers and other freshwater sources. They prefer thick reed beds and shallow waters. They spend much of their time fighting, swimming, sliding on rocks, playing with food, and throwing pebbles into the water to dive and grab before reaching the bottom.
Hippos are semi-aquatic animals and are the third largest land animals. They can be found near freshwater sources. They have unique skin that needs to be wet most of the day, meaning they spend most of their time submerged in shallow lakes, rivers, and swamps.
Nile crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the DRC. They are carnivores that feed on whatever they can catch.
Red River Hogs get their name from their beautiful coloration and preference for wallowing in and around rivers and streams. They prefer areas with thick vegetation to hide in and are rarely spotted far from the rainforest.
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Rasma Raisters
My passions are writing and creating poetry. I write for several sites online and have four themed blogs on Wordpress. Please follow me on Twitter.
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If Chinese automakers choose to build in Canada rather than simply export to it, the country could position itself as a bridge between Chinese EV innovation and North American demand. That balancing act — between economic opportunity and political risk — defines Canada’s strategy. Are Chinese EVs Really ‘Closing In’ on America? For now, the answer is: not directly — but strategically, yes. Chinese EVs sold in Canada won’t automatically flood the U.S. market. Regulations, trade rules, and tariffs still stand in the way. But proximity matters. Supply chains overlap. Consumer awareness spreads. Manufacturing footprints expand. There’s also the possibility of a workaround: Chinese companies could eventually build EVs in North America to bypass tariffs altogether. This idea has already been floated — but it faces fierce resistance from U.S. lawmakers and unions. Still, history shows that once a global industry leader gains regional access, momentum often follows. 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Comments (1)
This was a very enjoyable and fascinating piece. I have never seen a real-life Hyena up to now, and I've been introduced to new animals too. I really enjoyed reading this piece lots.