The number and variety of East Africa’s fauna—in particular its high concentrations of large animals—are unsurpassed, and are among the region’s major attractions. While it’s the ‘Big Five’ (lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino) that get most of the attention, there are many more.
In addition, the region is home to over 60,000 insect species, which include the malaria-carrying anopheles mosquito and the tsetse fly.
There are several dozens of types of reptiles and amphibians, including a wide variety of snakes and crocodilians. Of most interest to this game is the Nile Crocodile as kin to the Mokolé.
In addition to the rich coastal marine life found in the Indian Ocean waters offshore from East Africa. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa are notable for having among the highest fish diversities of any lake in the world, with an exceptionally large number of colorful cichlid species. Lake Victoria is known for its invasive perch species and for its tilapia.
East Africa is also notable for its exceptional bird life. Among the region’s close to 1500 species are various types of kingfishers, hornbills, bee-eaters, ostriches, fish-eagles and flamingos, as well as numerous rare and endemic birds including the elusive shoebill stork.
Uganda alone—which many ornithologists consider to be one of the continent’s premier bird-watching destinations—hosts more than 1000 species within its 236,000 sq km.
