Africa National Animals Quiz
This quiz has 10 questions drawn from the national animals of 16 African countries. Guess the country from a photo, pick each country's animal, and decide which ones are threatened or officially designated.
Which country has this as its national animal?
Answers and explanations
These are the 10 questions that open this page. After "Play again" the questions change, and every answer is explained as you go.
Which country has this as its national animal? (Okapi)
Answer: Democratic Republic of the Congo
The national animal of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the okapi (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). The okapi lives in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and by tradition it is the national animal and one of the country's proudest symbols. It is fully protected under Congolese law, and it has become a flagship for protecting the forests where it lives, such as the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest. More about Democratic Republic of the Congo →
What is the national animal of South Africa?
Answer: Springbok
The national animal of South Africa is the springbok (officially designated). The South African government lists the springbok as the national animal, alongside the blue crane, the king protea and the yellowwood tree among the national symbols. The leaping antelope has long stood for the country: it has appeared on the emblems of the South African Air Force and in the logo of South African Airways, and it fits the dry, open plains of much of South Africa, where huge herds once roamed. More about South Africa →
Black crowned crane: is it a threatened species (Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered) on the IUCN Red List?
Answer: Yes, threatened
A 2019 IUCN SSC Crane Specialist Group review lists the black crowned crane as Vulnerable, with a decreasing trend. The same review says the species may have been extirpated from Nigeria; wetland loss, droughts, dams, hunting and egg collecting all contributed to the decline. More about Nigeria →
Which country has this as its national animal? (Zebu)
Answer: Madagascar
The national animal of Madagascar is the zebu (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). The zebu is Madagascar's best-known animal emblem: its head appears on the Seal of the Republic, where it stands with a rice field for the country's two most important food and economic resources, and the CIA World Factbook lists it as a national symbol. In Malagasy culture, the size of a family's zebu herd has long measured its wealth and status. More about Madagascar →
Dodo, national bird of Mauritius: officially designated, or a national symbol by tradition?
Answer: National symbol
The national bird of Mauritius is the dodo (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). The dodo lived on Mauritius and nowhere else, and today it is the island nation's best-known symbol, standing beside the shield on the coat of arms granted in 1906 and kept after independence in 1968. As perhaps the most famous extinct animal in the world, it is a reminder of how unique the island's wildlife is, and how easily such wildlife can be lost. More about Mauritius →
What is the national animal of Zimbabwe?
Answer: Sable antelope
The national animal of Zimbabwe is the sable antelope (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). No law names the sable antelope as Zimbabwe's national animal, but newspapers, travel companies and wildlife guides widely call it that, and African Parks describes it as Zimbabwe's national mammal. It is a native species found in several of the country's best-known parks. More about Zimbabwe →
Which country has this as its national bird? (Grey crowned crane)
Answer: Uganda
The national bird of Uganda is the grey crowned crane (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). The grey crowned crane, known in Uganda as the crested crane, was a symbol of the country even before independence: from 1914 it appeared on the badge of the British protectorate of Uganda, and it was kept when the national flag was designed for independence in 1962. Shown on both the flag and the coat of arms, it is widely regarded as the national bird, and the national football team is nicknamed the Cranes. More about Uganda →
Fennec fox: is it a threatened species (Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered) on the IUCN Red List?
Answer: No, not threatened
The fennec fox is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a wide range across the Sahara and North Africa. It still faces some threats, such as being trapped for tourists or kept as an exotic pet, and it is protected by law in Algeria. More about Algeria →
What is the national animal of Morocco?
Answer: Barbary lion (Atlas lion)
The national animal of Morocco is the Barbary lion (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). No law naming the Barbary lion as a national animal has been found, but it is Morocco's clearest animal emblem: two lions have supported the shield of the royal coat of arms since it was first adopted on 14 August 1957. Moroccans also call their national football team the Atlas Lions, and the lion is tied to royal history, since sultans and later kings kept lions in palace menageries, the ancestors of the lions at Rabat Zoo today. More about Morocco →
Which country has this as its national animal? (Plains zebra)
Answer: Botswana
The national animal of Botswana is the plains zebra (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). Two plains zebras support Botswana's coat of arms, adopted in January 1966, the year the country became independent: one holds an elephant's tusk and the other a stalk of sorghum. Because of this, and because the arms appear on the money and the passport, the zebra is widely regarded as the national animal, and plains zebras are a familiar sight in many of Botswana's wild areas. More about Botswana →
How the questions are made
Every question is built from the national animal pages on this site: the country, the animal, whether it was officially designated or is a national symbol by tradition, and its IUCN Red List category. Each explanation repeats the short answer from that country's page, which lists its sources.
Threat questions skip domestic animals, animals extinct or possibly extinct in the wild, and subspecies such as the Italian wolf, because the IUCN category on those pages covers the whole species. Photo questions skip animals shared by several countries, such as the lion, so there is only ever one right answer.