Kenya’s diverse ecosystem is a home to the rarest and unique wildlife. Beyond the renowned Big 5 safaris and the spectacle of the Wildebeest Migration, there is another world of Africa’s most prized sightings. They are not the usual inhabitants of the savannah, but the elusive stars of the wild, creatures so unusual they’re only mentioned by safari guides in whispers.
From the late-night roaming of the Aardvark to the secretive existence of the Pangolin, these are creatures that offer a glimpse into Kenya’s wilder heart, for those willing and able to uncover them.
Join us as we explore the hidden corners of Kenya’s parks, where the Aardvark, Pangolin and others await, offering a safari experience unlike any other.
The Aardvark
The Aardvark is directly translated to its south African language meaning “earth pig”. It has a long sticky tongue for eating termites and ants which are its favorite food, and has large claws used for digging and protection.
Aardvarks are nocturnal mammals since they spend most of their time underground and are however, generally solitary and shy animals in nature, they only come together during mating. This mammal can be sported in the Mara triangle and Amboseli National park while doing night game drives, since they are easily spotted at night.
The Pangolin
Known as the world’s most trafficked mammal. Making them extremely rare to spot due to poaching and habitat loss. They are hunted because of a false believe that their scale can be used as a treatment for various medical problems.
The pangolins favorite food is termites and ants. It has a long tongue than its body that helps it to reach deeper on the holes and burrows looking for termites. When threatened, the pangolin curls itself into a tight ball for protection, they are highly nocturnal and secretive than the Aardvark and are also considered to be shy since they live and hunt alone except for matting purposes similar to the aardvark. They can mostly be spotted at night during night game drives in Masai Mara.
Porcupine
Porcupine are also nocturnal animals and very defensive, spending most of their time in burrows or holes hiding and come out at night. They rarely come out of their burrows during the day since they can spend several days in the burrows without seeing the sun.
When porcupines feel threatened, they raise their quills and show their backs to the threat. They are rarely seen due to their high demand of quills that humans use as ornament for making music instruments and believed to bring good luck as it’s a good charm to humans. They can be spotted at night, while doing game drives in semi-arid areas and savannah.
The African Wild dog
The African wild dog also known as “painted wolves”, due to habitat loss, overpopulation by humans and spread of diseases like rabies has become rare to spot. Their widespread and movement has made it difficult to predict where to find them. Wild dogs are highly social animals that cooperate and hunt in packs, live together and share food. To spot the African wild dog, consider having a safari in Laikipia.
The Serval Cat
Serval cats are mostly mistaken with cheetahs; however, they have a slim body compared to that of the cheetah. The serval cat is highly secretive and are mostly active at dawn and dusk, they are awkwardly social animals with solitary little interaction. They prefer staying where there is water and also near areas with tall grasses and bushy planes for them to easily hide and sneak up on their prey. Their favorite food is mice and rats. Their camouflage coat allows them to hide in grasses making them hard to spot. These serval cat can be spotted in Masai Mara, Amboseli and Nairobi National Park.