The diverse animals of the African savanna

The African savanna is a pretty diverse ecosystem. This is attributed to the plentiful grass that can be found in the savanna. A lot of grass means that the grazing mammal population is plentiful. So not only do you have a large range of herbivores in savannas but also carnivores that prey upon them.
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Today we will be looking at some of the most popular animals that can be found in the African savanna.

1. Giraffe

Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the animal kingdom. Their longs alone stand about 6 feet tall, which is taller than most people. The plentiful grass and tall leafy trees in the savanna mean the giraffes get abundant food to eat. And since most of the area is uninhabited, they can roam around freely. 

Giraffe by Mike Setchell via Unsplash

​If you ever get a chance to go on a safari in the African savanna you might get to experience their glory in person.

2. Zebra
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Zebra stand out among the other animals of the African savanna due to their unique black and white stripes. A little-known fact about zebras is that they are in fact endangered and about 2000 of them are believed to be alive today. 

Zebra by Ron Dauphin via Unsplash

​The white and black stripes on Zebras are unique to each animal, similar to how we humans have unique fingerprints. The stripes while beautiful also have a utility. They help zebras camouflage from the predators like lions. Since lions are color blind, for them a head of black and white zebras would be awfully confusing.

3. Wildebeests
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Wildebeests are another animal that is closely associated with the African savannas. While they may look slow, wildebeests can run pretty fast at speeds of up to 40 KM/hr. Unfortunately, that is still not fast enough to evade their primary predator Lions and Hyenas. 

Wildebeests by Ajeet Panesar via Unsplash

​These majestic animals are known to migrate, looking for greener pastures. On average, they may migrate as much as 1000 miles each year.

4. Lions
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While called King of the Jungle almost universally, Wild Lions actually only exist naturally in Africa. There is a small population of Asiatic lions found in India, but other than that most lions in the world are in Africa. 

Lions by Jeremy Avery via Unsplash

​The Lions are at the top of the food chain in the savanna. They hunt grazers like wildebeests, zebras, and even giraffes for food. While Lions are usually the symbol of courage, it is actually the lionesses that see most of the action such as hunting.

5. Cheetahs
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One of the fastest land animals, cheetahs make their presence known in the savanna. Like lions, they are apex predators and are at the top of the food chain. Their speed is unmatched and thus it makes them a lethal predator. 

Cheetahs by Keyur Nandaniya via Unsplash

​Cheetahs may lack strength, but they make it up in speed. They attack hard and fast and isolate a grazer. Because they can’t directly take on a united herd of grazers, they need to be tactful in how they approach their prey.
 
These are some of the most iconic animals you can find in an African savanna. And the best part is, that you can find most of these in the Urban Jungle app.  

Download the Urban Jungle Photo Editor from the App store now and add these majestic animals to your pictures.
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