|
South Africa has a rich and varied mammal life, with more than 200 species, including large animals as lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, baboons, zebras, and many kinds of antelope. Smaller creatures include mongooses, jackals, and various cats such as the caracal. Nowadays, the large mammals exist mainly in the country's wildlife reserves. South Africa contains more than 800 species of birds, such as the bearded vulture, the bald ibis, and the black eagle, and many species of reptiles, including more than 100 varieties of snakes, of which many are poisonous. |
 Ostrich in Pilanesberg Park in northern South Africa |  Giraffe in Pilanesberg Park |  Monkey on a rock near Cape of Good Hope |
 Wildebeest in Marc's Camp in eastern South Africa |  Lion in a lion park near Johannesberg |  Lion in lion park near Johannesberg |
 Wild animals in Pilanesberg Park |