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Friday, March 29, 2024

8 Kinds of Animals You Can Find in Mount Kahuzi, DR Congo

The extinct volcano and zoological forest reserve, Mount Kahuzi, DR Congo, has innumerable enchanting wildlife, making the area a famous world heritage site.

These set animals are unique in features, and interestingly enough, they are native to the Kahuzi forest, DRC. 

Now, let’s deep-dive into some of the rare species of animals one can find in Mount Kahuzi DR Congo.

1. Forest antelopes

The forest Antelopes, also known as Bongos, is one of the animals residing in Mount Kahuzi Congo.

Antelopes refer to species of even-toed ruminant animals that are indigenous to various regions in Africa.

Forest antelope are the largest forest-dwelling antelope inhabiting more in jungles and forests, as the third-largest antelope in the world.

  • Other places you can get this forest antelope in Africa

Apart from Mount Kahuzi, DR Congo, one can spot this animal species in Eastern, Western, and Central Africa.

  • Habitat of the forest antelope

The forest Antelope makes the jungle and forests their dwelling place.

You can also get this species of animals in grassland or rather savannas and mixed forest.

  • The physical features

Forest antelope has a striking reddish-brown coat, with black and white markings on the body.

Also, this animal has white-yellow stripes and long, slightly spiraled horns.

  • Scientific classification of forest antelope 

While classifying the forest antelope, it belongs to the kingdom, Animalia; phylum ChordateArtiodactyla order; family of Bovidae in the Mammalia class.

  • Characteristics 

One characteristic of the forest antelope is that they are the only Tragelaphus, implying that both males and females have medium- to large-sized spiral horns.

Also, these sets of animals have complex social interactions.

  • Feeding

They are herbivorous animals that graze on grass and smaller trees.

2. African buffalo 

Another animal one can find on the Kahuzi Mount is the African buffalo, a large- sub-Saharan Africa bovine. 

It’s also called the Cape buffalo, or the Syncerus caffer, and it is the only member of the buffalo in Africa.

  • Other places where one can find the African Buffalo in Africa

You can see this animal species in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast.

Also, African Buffalo stays in Ghana, Benin, and the southern part of Burkina Faso.

  • Habitat of the African buffalo

The buffalos prefer to live in semi-arid bushland and coastal savannas, and one can get this species in lowland rainforests. 

Note: these animals can survive anywhere as long as they’re close to a water source.

  • The appearance of African buffalo

The appearance of African buffalo varies depending on the subspecies. Some species appear in dark brown or black color, mainly those living in the savanna areas. 

Forest buffalos have a bright red color. The African buffalos have heavy-set and stocky legs, a large head, short neck.

  • Scientific classification of the African buffalo

African buffalo belong to the Animalia kingdom, the Chordata phylum, and the Mammalia class in Artiodactyla order, Stncerus genus, and species of syncerus caffer. 

  • Characteristics 

– African buffalos don’t have a ridged surface; instead, they possess dewclaws above their rounded hooves.

– Both the male and female buffalo have a horn and are very robust species.

– Its exhibits a shoulder height ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 m, and its head-and-body length can vary from 1.7 to 3.4 m (5.6 to 11.2 ft).

– Compared to other large bovids, it has a long, stocky body (the body length can exceed the wild water buffalo, which is heavier and taller) and short but thickset legs, resulting in a relatively short standing height. 

  • What the African Buffalo eat

Their favorite foods are grasses and herbs.

3. Giant forest hogs

Giant forest hogs are another species of wildlife one can see in Mount Kahuzi DR Congo as the only member of its genus residing in wooded habitats in Africa.

Also, it is the largest wild member of the pig family, also referred to as Hylochere, first described in 1904.

  • Habitat of the giant forest hogs

They stay in the Guinean and the Congolese forest.

  • The physical appearance of the giant forest hogs

– The giant forest hogs are mainly black on the surface, while the hairs nearest to their skin are deep orange. 

– The ears of the giant forest hogs are large and pointed, while the tusks of the male ones have about 36 centimeters.  

– Female species of this animal are generally smaller than the males.

– Adult’s giant forest hogs have a head-and-body length of about 4 ft – 6 ft, with a tail length measuring 25 to 45 cm.

Adults giant forest hogs grow up to 0.75 to 1.1 m tall at the shoulder and weigh from 100 to 275 kg (220 to 606 lb).

  • Scientific classification 

The giant forest hogs belong to the Hylochoerus genus and the Hylochoerus meinertzhagenni species in the Suidae family.

Artiodactyla: Order

Chordata: Phylum

Mammalian: class

  • Characteristics of the giant forest hogs

Giant forest hogs are shy animals that live in low population densities, and they are not popular. 

  • Feeding

Giant forest hogs feed on grasses, leaves, sedges, and also herbage.

4. African forest elephants

African forest elephants are another rare species of African wildlife in Mount Kahuzi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The African Elephants are of two species, the bush elephants (savanna elephants) and the forest elephant. 

A savanna elephant, one African elephant species, is always more giant than the forest counterpart.

Also, the curves of the savanna elephants tusk outward than that of the forest elephant. 

On the other side of the forest elephant, they are darker than that of the savanna or bush elephants. 

  • Habitat of the African elephant

The African Elephant dwells mostly in grasslands, forests, and savannas.

  • The physical appearance of the African elephant

The color of the Africa elephant is dark gray, covered with sparse, and it has wrinkled skin too.

Also, it has large ears that reduce heat and big body size and columnar legs.

Again the African elephant has an elongated upper lip, with a nose and a large head. 

  • Scientific classification 

The African Elephant is classified scientifically under the Mammalia class, the Loxodonta genus, the Proboscidea order, the subfamily group of Elephantidae, the Chordata phylum, and the kingdom Animalia.

Finally, on the classification, these animals are grouped into the Elephantidae family too. 

  • African Elephant’s feeding

The primary diet of the African elephant are fruits, grasses, and roots bark.

Also, the African elephant consumes enormous quantities of food that helps in nourishing their weighty bodies.

African elephant drinks by drawing up to 10 liters of water into the trunk and squirting it into the mouth afterward. 

  • Characteristics 

– The animal roams a great distance without much sleep and can eat about 300 pounds per day.

– Though African elephants can’t jump or gallop, they can reach a maximum speed of 40 km/h.

– The elongated nose, also known as the trunk, is the most sensitive part of its body, and it weighs 130 kg and can lift a load of 250 kg.

– Also, the sexual maturity of the African elephant is between the age of 10 and 12 years. 

5. Eastern needle clawed galago

Also called the needle-clawed bushbaby, the Eastern needle clawed belongs to the two genera Euoticus, the Galagidae family. 

They are nocturnal primates living in the low forest of Mount Kahuzi DR Congo.

  • The habitat of the Eastern needle-clawed galago

They prefer staying in tropical moist forests.

  • What does the Eastern needle-clawed galago eat?

They are omnivorous animals that feed on flesh, plant, and fruits. 

Most of their foods include insects, fruits, and gum that ooze out of certain tree species.

  • Scientific classification of the Eastern needle-clawed galago

Eastern needle-clawed galago, are scientifically classified into the Animalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, and the Mammalia class under primates Order and the strepsirrhini suborder.

Lastly, it belongs to the Galagidae family in the euoticus genus. 

  • The physical appearance of the Eastern Needle-Clawed Galago

These animals come in different colors, such as gray, brown, or reddish to yellowish-brown.

They have large eyes, long hind legs, and large ears too. Also, it has woolly fur and a long tail.  

  • Characteristics

Needle-clawed galalo sleeps mostly in groups in dense vegetation while carrying out their activities at night.

Also, they produce loud shrill cries, like a human baby, which give rise to the name needle-clawed bushbabies.

Note: the eastern needle-clawed galalo makes shrill whistles, chattering, croaking, and clucking sounds.

The female bushbabies are aggressive towards each other, and they have a long lifespan; unlike others, they live up to 16 years in the wild.

Usually, these animals sleep in nests that are about 5-12 meters off the ground.

6. Eastern lowland gorillas 

Eastern lowland gorillas are another set of animals in Mount Kahuzi DR Congo, also called the Grauer’s gorilla.

They are the largest of the four subspecies of gorillas but different from others by their stocky body, large hands, and short muzzle.

  • Habitat of the Eastern Lowland Gorilla

They stay in the tropical rainforests in the Eastern DRC.

  • The physical appearance 

The Eastern lowland gorilla has dark skin and black to brown-grey hair, with their heads larger than other parts of their body.

Just like the other species of the gorilla, they have a thick coat of dark fur save for their faces and hands. 

Also, the Eastern lowland gorilla has strong jaws and teeth, and they also have a significant amount of fat on their bodies. 

Lastly, they are about 5-6 feet tall, possessing a thick layer dermis with epidermis or inner and outer layers of skin.

  • What the Eastern lowland gorillas feed on

Just like other species of gorilla, the eastern lowland gorillas feed on fruits and herbs

  • Scientific classification 

While classifying the lowland gorilla, it belongs to the kingdom Animalia, the phylum of Chordata, class of Mammalia, order of the Primates, the suborder of the Haplorhini, and the infraorder of Simiformes.

Again, it belongs to the family of Hominidae, the subfamily of Homininae, the genus of gorilla, species of G. beringei, and subspecies of G.b.graueri.

  • Characteristics of the eastern lowland gorilla

The Eastern lowland gorillas prefer to walk around on their knuckles, and while traveling, they have much more petite and increase their consumption of herbaceous vegetation.

They show a preference for regenerating vegetation associated with abandoned villages and fields.

Gorillas do not eat banana fruits, but they may destroy banana trees to eat nutritious pith.

7. Monkeys 

A monkey is a small to a medium-sized primate with a long tail, residing in tropical countries but endemic to Mount Kahuzi DR Congo.

The name monkey is a general name for some mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also referred to as the Simians. The simians belong to the category of monkeys except for the apes.

 Monkeys have two families subdivisions, including the new world monkeys (Platyrrhini) and old world monkeys (Cercopithecidae in real sense Catarrhini in the wide, which also includes apes). 

  • Habitat of monkeys

Monkeys live in rainforests or desert habitats and prefer to stay in acacia woodland along streams, rivers, and lakes. 

  • Feeding

Monkeys are omnivorous animals that feed on both flesh and plant, with most of their diet including fruit, nut, seeds, and flowers.

They consume meat in the form of insects, spiders, eggs, and even small lizards. 

  • Physical appearance

– Monkey comes in different colors like black, brown, and even grey tones.

– A monkey has a similar body to a human being, with flexible legs and arms that enable them to climb trees.

– They also have opposable thumbs that they use in the same way human beings use their own.

  • Scientific classification of monkey

Monkey scientifically belongs to the kingdom Animalia, the phylum of Chordata, and the class of Mammalia in the order of Primates, the suborder of Haplorhini, and the infraorder of Simiiformes.

  • Characteristics 

Many monkey species dwell in trees, also known as the arboreal, while baboons live primarily on the ground.

Most species of monkeys are usually active during the day (diurnal). 

Generally, monkeys are intelligent, most especially the old world monkeys.

8. Maclaud’s horseshoe bat

It is a species of animal that one can find in mount Kahuzi, DR Congo, belonging to the family of the Rhinolophidae.

They have a noseleaf characterized by a forward-slanting sella with heart-shaped basal lobes that are hardly obvious in the nostrils.

  • Habitat of the maclaud’s horseshoe bat

The natural habitats of the maclaud’s horseshoe bat are moist savanna, caves, and subterranean habitats.

  • What the maclaud’s horseshoe bat eat

Their primary diet is insects, such as flies, moths, and beetles. 

  • The physical appearance of Maclaud’s horseshoe bat

– They are usually brown, but occasionally, you will see some appear in red colors.

 – The skulls of this species are slender.

– The space between the pterygoid bones of the skull is unusually barrel-like and deep.

 – Their forearms are 64–69 mm (2.5–2.7 in) long.

  • Scientific classification

The maclaud’s horseshoe bat belongs to the kingdom Animalia, the phylum of Chordata, and the class of Mammalia, in the order of Chiroptera, and the genus of Rhinolophus.

Finally, on the scientific classification of Maclaud’s horseshoe bat, it belongs to the R. maclaudi.

  • Characteristics

They use caves for roosts during the day and form small colonies consisting of up to six individuals.

What animals can you find in Congo?

Animals in the Congo are monkeys, chimpanzees, elephants, Okapis, wild boars, buffaloes, and many others.

Are there Zebras in Congo?

Yes, there are zebras in Congo, but there are few.

Bottom Line

Although most animals have gone extinct, in Africa, due to an increase in wildlife exploitation, quite a reasonable number of them still reside in mount Kahuzi, DR Congo.

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