Some hide beneath rocks, others are as still as logs, while others ascend like a falling leaf. Africa’s most dangerous animals are often the ones that go undetected.
Although qualified safari tours are extremely safe, here’s a little look into Africa’s wild side, without the protection of a guide or vehicle . . .
* The grunting rock: You see cute and cuddly stuffed versions of these animals everywhere in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Disney depicted them as graceful, yet obese, ballerinas in Fantasia. And MB Games incorporated these “hungry hungry” animals into a kid’s game. But hippos are definitely not an animal that you should try and snuggle with while on an Africa safari tour.
In fact, hippos are the number one cause of human deaths in Africa—higher than any other animal including lions. Why are they so violent? Well, they’re not really violent, they just don’t take kindly to disturbances. And when they’re disturbed, they charge full speed ahead, stopping at nothing that gets in their path.
Quick hippo fact: Hippos use their tails to fling feces at each other as a way of marking their territory . . . it’s true. And, disgustingly enough, baboons enjoy eating “hippo territory.”
* The lurking water log: Although known as caring parents to their young, the Nile crocodile is by no means a friendly creature. As crocodiles lay still in the water, often passing for a giant floating log, they are carefully waiting for their prey to get close enough for a quick attack.
Many of the lakes in Africa are home to sly crocs, especially Lake Victoria, which is the sanctuary for an estimated 100 crocodiles. In fact, this area saw more than 40 human deaths due to crocodile attacks in a 7 month period in 2002. At the time of the attacks, Arthur Mugisha of the Uganda Wildlife Authority said “Any crocodile sighted waiting is regarded a man eater. It is shot dead.”
Quick croc fact: Nile crocodiles often eat up to half their body weight during one feeding. That means they can ingest over 250 lbs. of food in one sitting.
* The falling leaf: While walking through the African rainforests, be sure to dodge falling leaves—they may not be what you think they are.
Often mistaken for a fallen leaf by prey, the gaboon viper’s brown, triangle-shaped head has a shocking resemblance to a leaf, which allows it to blend perfectly into the rainforest floor. In addition to its head, the gaboon viper’s body is thick and comprised of colorful geometric shapes and hues including brown, black, white, purple, and pink, which all mix well with the colors of the forest.
Quick gaboon viper fact: Equipped with some of the largest fangs of any snake, the gaboon viper’s fangs can grow up to 2 in. in length. Their venom is deadly and is injected to kill.
Photo from Fitnesssafaris.com
* The “great” ocean monster: Everyday, Cape fur seals and penguins venture into the ocean for play and snacking. Sometimes they return to land, other times they don’t. And many times when they don’t return, it is safe to assume that they had an encounter with the great white shark—one of the ocean’s deadliest predators. With an intimidating jaw line riddled with razor-sharp teeth, the great white shark is a heart-stopping sight—literally.
With strict preservation laws on great white sharks, Gansbaai on Africa’s coastline is arguably the world’s best place to observe these exceptional creatures in their natural feeding grounds. One of the most popular places to observe the great white shark in Gansbaai is in the channel between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock—justifiably referred to as shark alley.
Quick great white shark fact: Great whites can sense one small drop of blood from over a mile away.
* The black plague: As the fastest and longest venomous snake in Africa, the black mamba is arguably the world’s most deadly snake and has been the focal point for many exaggerated African legends. When it displays its blackish-blue gapping mouth it’s time to run as quickly as possible because one bite of this highly-venomous snake means death.
Quick black mamba fact: Left untreated, the black mamba’s venom has a fatality rate of 100%.
