Common Animals in Democratic Republic of Congo:
(hyperlinked animals have information and pictures provided)
DRC has more than 400 types of mammals (more than any other African nation)!
- tropical rain forest animals: okapi (only found in Congo), bongos, duikers, elephant shrews, leopards, forest genets, lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, Bonobo – pygmy chimpanzees (found only in Congo), hornbills, parrots, crowned eagles, Congo peacocks, poisonous vipers, pythons, giant beetles
- savanna animals: zebras, antelopes, black and white rhinoceroses, giraffes, buffalo, elephants, rhebok, tiny oribi, aardvarks, baboons, warthogs, African wildcats (servals), cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, leopards, vultures, eagles, secretary birds, agama lizard
- mountain animals: mountain gorilla, miniature-sized forest elephants, colobus monkeys, hornbills, crested turacos
- water animals: hippopotami, swamp otters, dwarf crocodiles, dwarf water frogs, freshwater turtles, sedge frogs, tiger fish, tilapia, eels, African lungfish, bichir, vipers, tree cobras, pythons, chameleons, salamanders
(Willis, Terri. Democratic Republic of the Congo: Enchantment of the World. New York, NY: Children’s Press, 2004.)
Lesson Plan Ideas for Animals in DRC
Quick and Easy:
- Have the students gather around as you read the information about each animal – show the pictures to them. Allow for discussion.
- Have students write about the pictures they see. (English Connection – here you will find a worksheet for students to write about what they see)
- Encourage students to learn more about the animals by getting books from the library.
- Check out some fun websites that have more photos and/or video of the animals found in DRC.
(pictures and information about animals found in Africa can be found at this site)
(There are roughly 700 mountain gorillas remaining on Earth, and nearly half live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa. These gorillas live on the green, volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—areas that have seen much human violence from which the gorillas have not escaped unscathed.)
(Wildlife of Congo)
Going deeper:
- Have students research the other animals that are listed as common in the country but do not have a fact sheet attached.
- Animal Report (Here you will find a one-page worksheet for students outlining some basics of animal research)
- Individually or as small groups, have students write a report on the animal they are researching.
- Individually or as small groups, have students create a poster of the animal.
- Allow students to present their report and/or poster to the class.