The central African Republic or CAR is found almost exactly in the center of the continent of Africa. This unique and beautiful country is landlocked and shares borders with Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, and Chad. With its warm and wet climate giving rise to grasslands, savannas, and rain forests it is abundant in all kinds of wildlife. Once, it was considered a paradise for wildlife and is or was the home of just about every African animal. There are 791 species of birds, 209 species of mammals, 29 species of amphibians, and 187 types of reptiles, plus insects, including many moths and butterflies. Unfortunately, many of the animals in the CAR are threatened due to poaching, the search for bushmeat, and diseases introduced through domestic animals such as cattle. Here are some facts about the animals of CAR.
The Official National Animal of Central African Republic
The national animal of the Central African Republic is the elephant. The world’s largest land mammal, CAR’s elephants have been greatly reduced in numbers due to the greed for the ivory that makes up their tusks. Two species of elephant, the bush and the forest elephant are found in CAR. The bush elephant is the larger of the two, but the forest elephant was especially targeted for its unique ivory, which is said to be harder, stronger, and more aesthetically pleasing than the ivory of bush elephants. Both species of elephants have been poached extensively and are on the endangered list.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Central African Republic
The intense pressure on the population of native wildlife has prompted the government of Central African Republic to take steps to protect them. National parks have been set up to protect the wildlife, including Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, the largest of the parks and reserves at 1,740,000 hectares; Bamingui-Bangoran National Park; Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, and the Zemongo Faunal Reserve which itself is part of the Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas shared with Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. Other national parks are the ECOFAC Classified Forest; the Kaga Bandoro Classified Forest; the Mbaéré Bodingué National Park; the Nana-Barya Faunal Reserve; the Ouandjia-Vakaga Faunal Reserve and the Vassako-Bolo Strict Nature Reserve.
Visitors who wish to find western lowland gorillas can find them the Dzanga-Sangh Reserve. while Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park is home to giraffe and buffalo as well as 379 types of birds. Chimpanzees can be found in the Zemongo Faunal Reserve while people who are looking for the country’s nearly two dozen species of antelope can find them in the northern and eastern regions of the country. Bangassou is home to the near-threatened bongo and the more common sitatunga, both antelopes. Crocodiles and hippopotamus are found swimming and hunting in CAR’s many rivers.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Central African Republic Today
A list of the most dangerous beasts in the Central African Republic would include:
- Hippopotamus — a couple of facts about this semi-aquatic herbivore are it can be surprisingly aggressive and is easy to underestimate. Hippopotamuses kill about 500 people each year in Africa.
- Buffalo — another large herbivore, the African buffalo, is not only dangerous but is said to exact revenge on hunters who have wounded it. Moreover, they will recruit members of their herd to help do the deed. Buffalo kills about 200 people every year, mostly by goring them to death.
- Crocodile — though numbers are uncertain, it is believed that 200 people suffer death by crocodile each year in Africa. While the buffalo is merely vengeful, the crocodile hunts humans the way it hunts any other animal.
- Elephant — the bush elephant may be responsible for the deaths of 500 humans every year. Male elephants who are undergoing musth are especially dangerous. Of course, this pales in comparison to the number of elephants killed every year by humans.
- Mosquitoes — the tiny and innocent mosquito is responsible for more deaths than any other African animal. Epidemiologists believe that malaria alone, caused by a parasite transmitted by the mosquito, kills 200,000 people a year in West Africa.
Endangered Animals In Central African Republic
Unfortunately, many animals are endangered in the Central African Republic, and indeed, the black rhino may be extinct. Extinct means there are simply no more of its kind living in the wild. A list of other endangered animals include:
- Chimpanzee
- African elephant, both forest and bush
- Western lowland gorilla
- Sudan cheetah. The cheetah is considered vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and endangered on the U.S. Federal List.
- African spurred tortoise
These creatures are threatened by hunting, poaching and loss of habitat. The cheetah is further endangered by lack of prey.