Not in Michigan Anymore: Wildlife Wonders of South Africa

As a biology minor, I have to give a tribute to the beautiful wildlife that is native (and not native!) to South Africa. Being in a new place, with different weather and landscape brings a whole new spectrum of animals! South Africa is full of different biomes, with different temperatures dependent on where you go. There are warm coastal subtropics, hot deserts, humid highlands, snow-topped mountains, and vast patches of Mediterranean weather in the southwest, thus, there is a lot of variety in the climate and therefore the species that live here.

Thus, there's five new animals that I’ve seen in my time in South Africa / Cape Town. 

Red-winged starling (EVERYWHERE, especially on campus). 

These little guys are like the unofficial mascots of the University of Cape Town, next to the tigers, the official mascot of course. The biology department apparently collects data  with these birds from time to time, which gives them a lot of close exposure to people. From the stories I have heard: if you’ve got food around these little guys, watch it carefully.  They are bold, shameless, and very much invested in whatever you’re eating. They remind me of campus squirrels in the United States…but with wings. 

I once had one fly directly at my face and it was terrifying, but I can’t even stay mad at them because they’re so so beautiful. They are pretty small-medium size for birds with glossy black feathers and a pop of orange-red in their wings which you can really see when they fly.

Baboon 

So, while this image is not from my daily life in Cape Town, and instead comes from a safari in Kruger National Park (20 hour drive from Cape Town), baboons are more common in the urban areas closer to the peninsula region of South Africa. 

So, while I personally  haven't exactly seen a baboon up close yet, while down on and near the peninsula there were LOTS of Baboon warning signs on the way back from the Cape Peninsula and in the Table Mountain national park. Additionally, my friend told me about how one tried to join her in the bathroom when we traveled along the Cape Peninsula during orientation, and, I will definitely be taking her word for it. Upon further research, the Chacma Baboon are the baboons that you’ll find in South Africa as they are native here and thrive in this urban environment. Baboons are what ecologists call “urban exploiters,” which means that while they can survive in the wild, some have adapted to thrive around humans (and especially around our trash) in which to live flourishing lives. CNN even wrote about their Cape Town takeover, which is a wild read if you want to see how baboons are rewriting the rules of city living. 

Egyptian Geese

 My very first encounter with Egyptian geese was in the Company’s Garden, and I haven't seen them very much outside of Company's Garden. Despite the name, they’re not only found in Egypt. These geese are spread across Africa, and have even been recently introduced to Europe and North America as well. Don't let the image fool you, these guys are pretty big for flying birds and they have such an interesting and unique dark eye patches which caught my eye at first. Apparently you shouldn't underestimate these guys either, they are very protective of their babies and their nests, so don't mess with them. 

Dassies

Now these little cuties are very chill! Dassies are small, fluffy, guinea pig–sized animals that you will spot lounging on the rocks around the cape peninsula, and I think we found this little guy by the Boulders'  beach. Dassies spend most of their day sunbathing in big groups, socializing with each other and occasionally giving you the side-eye if you get too close.  But for the most part, they are very laid-back and unbothered, which is very real of them. 

Honorable mention: Mystery bird

Now, I haven't yet found the identity of this beautiful bird but I just couldn't help but mention this gorgeous little guy. We spotted this beauty in the Kruger National Park on a Safari and I have still not gotten over all of the colors and how beautiful this bird is. Any guesses as to what it could be? 

And below are some other animals that I have been able to see in Cape Town.