Below you can find a complete list of Congolese animals. We currently track 250 animals in the Republic of Congo and are adding more every day!
The Republic of the Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo or the Congo Republic, is a country on the western coast of Central Africa. With its location being the central-western area of sub-Saharan Africa, along the equator, it has a unique climate as well as wildlife.
The capital of Brazzaville is on the Congo River to the south, while the Kouilou-Nilari River drains the coastal plain of the southwest and in the country’s interior is a central plateau with two basins to the north and south. Some species are endangered due to deforestation and the bushmeat trade. The equatorial climate is stable year-round, while the country contains the four terrestrial ecoregions of lowland forests, coastal forests, swamp forests, and forest-savannah mosaic along with river valleys, plateaus, coastal plains, and mountains. Within these diverse habitats is a predomination of tropical rainforests, which account for 70% of the country.
The Official National Animal of the Republic of the Congo
There is no official national animal of the Republic of the Congo. The coat of arms has a red lion in the center and two African elephants supporting the shield. Although there are many common and popular animals, there is no single one that is a national symbol for the country. Gorilla trekking is a popular activity for tourists, where they can see the mountain and eastern lowland gorillas.
The Flag of the Republic of the Congo
The flag of the Republic of the Congo is made up of a yellow band that runs diagonally from the bottom hoist side corner to the top right corner, with a green upper triangle and a red lower triangle. The green portion of the flag represents the country’s agriculture and woods, while the yellow stripe symbolizes the noblest qualities and love of friendship of the Congolese people. The symbolism behind the red color, however, was left unexplained. The green, yellow, and red colors, from a continental viewpoint, are the colors of the Pan-Africanist movement.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in the Republic of the Congo
The best places to find the top wild animals in the Republic of the Congo are protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife reserves, which comprise 40% of the country. The country has 1,000 bird species, 700 fish species, and 400 mammal species. A popular pastime for tourists is going on Congo safaris, gorilla trekking, wildlife watching, chimpanzee tracking, bird watching, and hiking tours.
The Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is home to forest elephants and great apes, such as western lowland gorillas, eastern chimpanzees, and bongo subspecies, as well as over 300 bird species. Other popular animals are leopards, lions, hippopotamuses, cheetahs, giraffes, spotted hyenas, and bonobos.
There is also the Lossi Gorilla Sanctuary. Virunga National Park is the oldest national park, while Odzala-Kokoua National Park is the largest in the Congo and contains the most popular animals, forest elephants, and Western gorillas.
The Most Dangerous Animals In the Republic of the Congo Today
When it comes to dangerous animals in the Republic of the Congo, several tend to be large. There are gorillas, elephants, wild boars, and buffalo in the forests, cheetahs are in the savannah areas, and many rhinoceroses, giraffes, and the occasional lion live on the plateau. Crocodiles live in the Congo River Basin and there are overall three species. Dangerous snakes include the poisonous cobra, puff adder, green mamba, and the powerful python.
On the other hand, some of the most dangerous animals are the smallest. Tsetse flies cause sleeping sickness, while mosquitos transmit malaria and yellow fever.
Unique Animals in the Republic of the Congo
The Congo Clawless Otter is an example of unique wildlife in the Congo. It is a rare species with its partially webbed feet and black markings between its eyes and nose, while other otters have fully webbed feet and no markings. Other unique animals in the Congo are the Okapi, which is related to the giraffe but resembles a zebra with its striped legs, and the great ape species the Bonobo.
Endangered Animals In the Republic of the Congo
The Okapi, Bonobo, Giant African Water Shrew, and Pohle’s Fruit Bat are three examples of endangered animals in the Republic of the Congo. Endangered primates include the Western Gorilla, Red Colobus, and Pennant’s Red Colobus as well as the Chimpanzee, which lives in the central African forests and especially in the Congo Basin.
Extinct Animals in the Republic of the Congo
There are no examples of extinct animals or extinct in the wild animals. Rather, some species are endangered, critically endangered, vulnerable, or near-threatened according to the IUCN Red List. The bushmeat trade, which serves as a widely available and cheap source of protein, accounts for the loss of food sources for endangered primates.
Congolese Animals
Can move 2ft of soil in just 15 seconds!
Secretes up to 4g of musk every week!
African clawed frogs were used as pregnancy testers from the 1930s to the early 1960s.
Both male and female African elephants have tusks. In Asian elephants, only the males have tusks.
Have large rounded ears to help keep them cool!
The first image of an African golden cat was captured in the wild in Gabon in 2002.
When a grey parrot named Yosuke got lost, it was reunited with its owner after giving the owner's name and address.
The males raise the young
Solitary but gathers in groups!
Found in tropical moist lowland forests!
The agama forms small social groups that contain both dominant and subordinate males.
Despite its name, actually originated from Africa and the Middle East
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Renew their horns every year!
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
Banana cinnamon ball pythons came from combining the banana and cinnamon genes.
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
The bichir species is more than 400 million years old
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
Black mambas are the longest venomous snake in Africa, and second longest in the world.
They typically prey on insects!
Long and heavy spiralled horns!
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Females glue egg cases to furniture
Can live its entire life indoors
"They look like you owe them money."
The most common species of bee!
In a series of leaps, this creature can cover almost 30 feet of distance in just a few seconds.
Bush vipers are predators, sinking their fangs into prey while dangling from a tree limb
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
Some species' babies use their hooked or scraper-like teeth to peel off and eat their mother's skin
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
There are more than 160 different species!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
Has 32 teeth including fang-like canines!
There are more than 2 000 known species!
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
The most common raptor in the UK!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
Cosmic caterpillars have spots on their back that look like eyes to scare off predators.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
There are 93 different crab groups
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Many are critically endangered species!
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
Have changed little in 200 million years!
Crocodylomorphs include extinct ancient species as well as 26 living species today.
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
Desert ghost ball pythons are even more beautiful when they're bred with another type like enchi ball pythons.
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Found in Europe, Africa and Asia!
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
Digs burrows in river banks to rest!
Has exceptional eyesight!
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
Eel catfish breathe air and reach up on land to catch beetles. Scientists think they may be a missing link between fish and lizards.
A duck species that resembles a goose when flying
The electric catfish can discharge an electric shock up to 450 volts
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!
Found exclusively on the African continent!
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
The fiddler crab gets its name from the motion the males make with their over-sized claw during the mating ritual.
The fire ball python morph is known for its rich golden and reddish-brown coloration.
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
There are three different color morphs, which entirely depend on the region that they live in.
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"
Freeway ball pythons come from breeding yellow belly and asphalt ball pythons.
There are around 7,000 different species!
Among the largest bats in the world
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
They build a ramp from their nest, which leads to a nearby water source
Gaboon vipers are the largest vipers in Africa.
Named for the Arabic word for love poems
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
Originally known as the Desert Rat!
The most common type of urban roach
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
Most closely related to the Sheep!
Migrates between Europe and Asia!
Goliath beetles are the largest beetles in the world, and they can carry objects several times their weight.
Featured in "River Monsters" TV series!
The biggest of the world's primates!
There are 11,000 known species!
Found in a vairety of African habitats!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
Has pink anti-bacterial sweat!
One of earth's bravest creatures!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
There are four different species!
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!
There are an estimated 30 million species!
The jacana has the ability to swim underwater
One of the biggest species in the Caranx genus
Can maintain speeds of 16 km/h!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Killer clown ball pythons can cost several thousand dollars.
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Spends much of the time high in the trees!
The offspring of a lion and tiger parents!
Lives in small groups called prides!
There are around 5,000 different species!
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Will only live in wet areas
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
Distinctively coloured noses and rumps!
The marabou stork does not have a voice box.
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Instead of the typically banded or ‘alien head’ patterning of most ball python morphs, the Mojave morph’s patterning is characterized by lots of large, circular splotches with small, dark brown dots in their centers.
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!
There are around 260 known species!
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
Named more than 1,000 years ago!
Unlike other reptiles, the male Nile crocodile will stay with a female to guard their nest of eggs.
The Nile monitor is the world's fourth-largest lizard!
There are more than 5,000 species.
Olive baboons will sometimes form strong friendships with each other
Their nickname is "Orange Bitey Thing"!
The "Orange Dream" name came from the idea that the morph would make its first breeder a million dollars.
Females are about four times the size of males
The ornate bichir can survive outside water for short periods of time
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
The panda pied ball python morph is a combination of the piebald and black pastel traits.
Bad eyesight, but great sense of smell
Can live for up to 100 years!
Most commonly found on the Indian mainland!
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
There are more than 300 different species!
Omnivores that eat anything!
Is the most populous bird in the world
They build their nests off the ground in tree holes, cavities, stone walls, and roofs
The river jack snake has a gigantic horn-like scale on the tip of its nose.
It's horns are made from keratin!
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
Will mate with the entire flock!
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail
Savannah monitors are one of the most popular lizards in captivity.
There are around 2,000 known species!
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
Can leap more than 1 meter into the air!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
There are 140 different species!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Spitting cobras are types of cobras that can spit venom at predators and prey.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Because of their unique venom delivery system, stiletto snakes are almost impossible to hold safely in the usual way (with fingers behind the head) without being bitten.
They can’t sing like other birds.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The skate with the biggest spines!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!
They make music with their wings
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
Tsetse flies are large biting flies that live in the tropical regions of Africa.
Their name means “banana-eater,” but they rarely ever eat bananas.
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most
There are 30 different species worldwide!
Has two sets of tusks on it's face!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!
There are two sub-species!
There are two different types of white ferrets!
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
There are 200 different species!
They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.
The yellow belly gene is co-dominant and doesn't completely override other genes.
Stripe patterns are unique to each individual!
There are around 75 different species!
The offspring of Zebra and Donkey parents!
The offspring of a Zebra and Horse parents!
Congolese Animals List
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals live in the Republic of the Congo?
Many species of terrestrial mammals, birds, marine wildlife, reptiles, and insects live in the Republic of the Congo. Large mammals, especially primates, predominate the wildlife.
How many animals are there in the Republic of the Congo?
There are 1,000 bird species, 700 fish species, and 400 mammal species.
Do zebras live in the Republic of the Congo?
Yes, zebras live in the plains regions of the country.