Botswana's Bounty of Beasts Trivia Quiz

Answer: plains zebra

Found in East and Southern Africa, the plains zebra (Equus quagga) is the most widespread of the the three species of zebra,. Of its six extant subspecies, Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchelli) is the one most frequently encountered in Botswana, in particular in the southern part of the country. Another subspecies, Chapman's zebra (Equus quagga chapmani) is more common in the northwest.

In terms of size, the plains zebra is smaller than the rare Grevy's zebra and larger than the mountain zebra; it also has broader stripes than either of these species. Like all zebras, it is a highly social species that lives in small family groups, which may also form larger herds. Plains zebras dwell in savanna and open grassland, habitats they share with many other ungulate species. There they are preyed upon by lions, hyenas and other carnivores, which they often manage to escape with a number of strategies - including motion dazzle, a form of camouflage that involves creating a sort of optical illusion that confuses would-be predators.

The plains zebra is depicted on Botswana's coat of arms, and the black-and-white stripe in the centre of the national flag represents the animal's stripes. Classified by IUCN as Near Threatened (2016), these zebras are found in most of Botswana's national parks and wildlife reserves.

Answer: painted dog

The only extant member of its genus, the painted dog (Lycaon pictus) is known by a variety of other names, such as African wild dog and Cape hunting dog. The name painted dog, however, is true to its specific name "pictus" (Latin for painted), reflecting the huge range of colour variations of this rare canid's fur. Once abundant all over the African continent, the painted dog is now found mostly in East and Southern Africa, its greatest concentration occurring in Botswana.

The painted dog is a solidly built animal whose teeth are adapted to its hypercarnivorous diet, mostly based on the many medium-sized antelopes that populate the African savanna. Like most other canids, these animals live and hunt in packs, which can consist of over 40 individuals, and in which males usually outnumber females. Painted dogs generally avoid forested areas, favouring instead arid regions such as the Kalahari Desert, which covers a large part of Botswana.

Threatened by disease, habitat fragmentation and human persecution, the painted dog is classified by IUCN as Endangered (2025). According to this assessment, fewer than 1,700 individuals remain in the wild.

Answer: impala

The common name of the impala (Aspyceros melampus) comes from Zulu; the similar Tswana name "phala" means red antelope - a reference to this ungulate's glossy, reddish-brown coat. The only extant member of its genus, the impala has two subspecies, the common impala (found in East and Southern Africa) and the black-faced impala, restricted to a small area of Angola and Namibia. These antelopes dwell in grasslands and woodlands - preferably close to water sources - where they feed by browsing and grazing.

Impalas are medium-sized, slender-bodied creatures that are excellent sprinters and jumpers, and also perform a series of distinctive leaps called stotting, whose main aim is to confuse predators. Impala males have strongly ridged horns with a characteristic lyre shape. Preyed upon by Africa's many carnivores, impalas have a symbiotic relationship with oxpeckers (Buphagus), birds that help the antelopes s get rid of ticks on parts of the body that would be impossible for them to reach. The common impala is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2016), as much of its population occurs in protected areas such as the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Impala is the name of a popular passenger car manufactured by Chevrolet between 1956 and 2020. The car's emblem featured a running impala.

Answer: Nile crocodile

The second-largest crocodile species, the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is a fearsome creature that can grow to nearly 6 m (19 ft), with thick, armour-like skin and powerful jaws full of sharp, cone-shaped teeth. In spite of its name, it is not found exclusively in the world's longest river, but is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where it occurs in various aquatic environments - such as Botswana's Okavango Delta.

Though they spend much of their time basking in the sun with their jaws open, Nile crocodiles are very aggressive apex predators, constantly aware of their surroundings and easily alerted to the presence of other animals. They are at their most dangerous when in or near water, where they can grab prey with lightning speed. While they feed mainly on invertebrates when young, as they grow they shift to larger prey, and many adults grow big enough to catch antelopes, zebras and even large carnivores - not to mention humans. It is estimated that hundreds of attacks on humans by Nile crocodiles occur every year in sub-Saharan Africa, many of them fatal.

Answer: kori bustard

Native to Africa, Eurasia and Australia, the bustards (family Otididae) are terrestrial birds of considerable size. Like other members of the family, the kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) is omnivorous and favours dry, open grassland areas. Its mainly grey and brown plumage, finely pattered in black and white on its long neck, is adapted to its surroundings, allowing the bird to blend with the tall grasses and escape detection.

Although capable of flight, kori bustards will avoid flying whenever possible, as they need a lot of space to take off. When faced with danger, they prefer to run on their long legs or take cover. A male kori bustard can weigh as much as 19 kg (42 lb), vying with the males of the great bustard (Otis tarda) for the rank of heaviest flying animal. In fact, the kori bustard is Africa's second-largest bird after the ostrich. Females, on the other hand, are much smaller and lighter. The national bird of Botswana, the kori bustard is relatively common in the country, in particular in its many protected areas. Outside those areas, however, these birds are much rarer, mainly because of habitat loss: for these reasons, they are classified by IUCN as Near Threatened (2025).

Answer: African buffalo

The definition of "Big Five" refers to the five animal species that big-game hunters in Africa regard as most difficult (and dangerous) to hunt on foot. While two of them are carnivores (lion and leopard), the other three are large herbivores: elephant, rhinoceros and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). The latter, also known as Cape buffalo, is one of the largest bovid species. Though shorter on average than its Asian relative, the wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), the African buffalo is stocky and muscular, with an almost barrel-shaped body and characteristic broad horns whose bases are so close together as to form a sort of helmet called a boss. Savanna-dwelling buffaloes have black or dark grey coats, while the much smaller forest-dwelling subspecies has a reddish-brown coat.

Unlike the Asian species, the African buffalo has never been domesticated because of its unpredictable nature. A herd of these creatures is a formidable adversary for any predator, and even lions and leopards will usually give an adult buffalo a wide berth: in fact, African buffaloes are known to have killed lions, often in retaliation for the killing of a member of their herd. A highly coveted trophy for hunters, African buffaloes give no quarter when they attack - wounded individuals being particularly dangerous.

As is very often the case, however, humans are much more dangerous to African buffaloes than the other way around: the species is classified by IUCN as Near Threatened (2018), mostly because of hunting and other human activities. In Botswana, they are found particularly in the Okavango Delta region.

Answer: springbok

The springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is the national animal of South Africa, which borders Botswana to the south. Its common name comes from the Afrikaans words for "jump" and "buck", as this antelope is known for its distinctive habit of "pronking" - that is, leaping multiple times high into the air while keeping its legs stiff and its back bowed. The springbok is a slender, long-legged animal with a light brown coat and white underside, and dark stripes running down each side of its face. Both sexes have dark, backward-curving horns. This antelope also ranks as one of the fastest terrestrial mammals - a definite asset when trying to elude predators.

Springbok dwell in dry areas of Southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and the Karoo in South Africa, where they feed primarily on shrubs and young succulents. In the past, they migrated in huge herds - often comprising millions of individuals - from one end of their range to the other in search of water: this habit is known as "trekbokking". Unlike other antelope species, they are not threatened with extinction: in fact, their populations are increasing, and thus they are classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2016).

Answer: aardwolf

Though the name aardwolf means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans, Proteles cristatus - the only living member of its genus - is not a canid, but one of the four extant species of the family Hysenidae of the order Carnivora. In spite of their dog-like appearance, hyenas are feliforms, sharing a number of anatomical features with cats, mongooses and viverrids. Unlike other hyenas, the aardwolf is neither a scavenger nor a hunter, but subsists almost entirely on insects and their larvae, especially termites, which it laps up with its long, sticky tongue.

The aardwolf resembles a striped hyena, though it is considerably smaller and thinner. The long, dark mane running down its back is raised during confrontations to make the animal appear larger. These nocturnal animals are found in East and Southern Africa, where they live in open, dry grasslands and shrublands - habitats where termite mounds abound. Even if their populations are not particularly dense throughout their range, their numbers are not decreasing, in spite of the occasional persecution by farmers who mistakenly believe these animals to prey on livestock. The aardwolf is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2015).

Answer: boomslang

The exotic-sounding name boomslang simply means "tree snake" in Afrikaans. Indeed, Dispholidus typus - a slender-bodied snake with unusually large eyes - is an excellent climber, and forested areas are its favourite habitat. It is found in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa; some of the largest concentrations of this snake occur in Botswana. Being relatively common throughout its range, the boomslang is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2012).

Male boomslangs are a beautiful shade of light green with black- or blue-edged scales, while females are often brown. They can grow to a length of 1.80 m (5.9 ft), though they are generally somewhat shorter. As with all venomous members of the Colubridae family, the boomslang is rear-fanged - meaning that their fangs are located near the back of its mouth, thus requiring the snake to hold on and chew on their prey in order to inject its venom. While most rear-fanged colubrids are not dangerous to humans, the boomslang is regarded as one of the world's most dangerous snakes, as its venom prevents proper blood coagulation and may cause the victim to bleed to death. In 1957, prominent herpetologist Karl Schmidt died of a juvenile boomslang bite, chronicling his symptoms almost until the end.

Answer: Cape griffon

Also known as Cape vulture, the Cape griffon (Gyps coprotheres) is a member of the family Accipitridae. One of the three largest species of Old World vultures, it is also one of the continent's largest flying birds. The Cape griffon has light-coloured plumage, with dark flight and tail feathers and a black beak. Its wingspan can reach 2.6 m (8.6 ft), and an adult specimen can weigh as much as 11 kg (24 lb). It feeds almost exclusively on carrion, which it can locate quite effectively due to its good eyesight and its habit of searching for food in groups.

In Botswana, the Cape griffon occurs in most of the twelve sites designated as important by the International Bird Association. The country's largest breeding colony is found in Manyelanong Game Reserve, in southeastern Botswana, where the birds are protected. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining because of various threats - one of which is poisoning by Diclofenac, a drug used to treat arthritis in cattle, which the birds ingest when feeding on cattle carcasses. On the other hand, while in 2015 the Cape griffon was classified by IUCN as Endangered, the assessment was changed to Vulnerable in 2021 after some populations' numbers rebounded.

Answer: serval

The only member of its genus, the serval (Leptailurus serval) is a medium-sized cat with a slender body and a golden-brown, spotted and striped coat. Its most distinctive features are a small head with large ears and uncommonly long legs - the longest of any cat species. This cat's name comes from the Portuguese name for the lynx, "lobo-cerval". Like most wild cats, the serval is a solitary animal, active both during the day and at night. It occurs over much of sub-Saharan Africa, where it dwells in savanna, grasslands and wetlands, preferably near bodies of water and with tall grasses that provide cover. One of its close relatives, the caracal (Caracal caracal), is often found in the same areas, though the caracal has a preference for drier habitats. In Botswana, servals dwell mainly in the Okavango Delta region.

Classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2014), the serval is nevertheless threatened by the shrinking of its preferred habitat, as well as hunting for its fur. It is occasionally kept as a pet, though in some countries the possession of wild cat species is strictly regulated. A domestic cat breed called Savannah was developed in the late 20th century by crossing a serval with a domestic cat: these hybrids have the serval's distinctive large ears and spotted coat, and are among the largest domestic cat breeds.

Answer: ground pangolin

Though often referred to as scaly anteaters because of their specialized diet, pangolins (order Pholidota) are not related to true anteaters nor armadillos (order Xenarthra). Covered as they are by large, overlapping keratin scales, pangolins have a rather reptilian appearance; the structure of their scales has also been compared to a pine cone. They are also able to curl up into a ball for defensive purposes, protecting their vulnerable belly. Pangolins are nocturnal and insectivorous: they have no teeth, but have long, sticky tongues and strong claws for digging into termite mounds.

The three extant genera of pangolins (all part of the family Manidae) are native to Asia and Africa; the African species belong to the genera Smutsia and Phataginus. The ground pangolin (Smutsia temmincki) - also known as Cape or steppe pangolin - is the only species found in East and Southern Africa. As its common name implies, this species is terrestrial rather than arboreal, and mostly inhabits savanna woodlands, where its preferred prey is abundant. The ground pangolin occurs in most of Botswana's territory. Threatened by habitat loss and the illegal trade in their scales and other parts (as well as hunting for their meat), these unique animals are listed by IUCN as Vulnerable (2019).