Deciphering animal tracks on your safari adventure
Unravelling the secrets behind footprints can enrich your wildlife adventure. Let a good safari guide elevate your safari experience by helping you decode animal tracks in the wild.
Safari adventure and animal signs
African safaris are an amazing way to see some of the most unique wildlife that the world has to offer. From the mountain gorillas of Northern Rwanda to the savannah elephants of Botswana, there is truly a diverse range of wildlife to experience.
Observing animal tracks on safaris can be especially enjoyable, allowing you to learn more about Africa’s many amazing ecosystems and the animals that live and thrive in them. Read this article to learn more about the types of wildlife footprints you will see on a safari, plus tips on for how to identify them!
Four tips for identifying wildlife footprints
There are many tips and tricks that exist to help identify wildlife footprints on your safari. Tracking wildlife footprints can be a fun way to predict the kinds of wildlife you will likely observe, as well as get an inside glance into their behaviors and environment.
So how do you go about identifying African animal tracks? Here are four tips for reading animal footprints on your African safari:
1. Pay attention to size and shape
One of the best ways to brush up on your wildlife tracking skills is to always pay attention to the size and shape of each animal track you see. Size can help you determine what sort of animal you might see and shape can reveal whether it’s a predator or prey. Typically, predators generally have more rounded paw prints, while prey animals may have more elongated hoof-like prints.
2. Note track patterns
Interpreting animal tracks in the wild can often be tricky! However, their track patterns can help provide helpful insight into what sort of animal they might belong to. Different animals have distinct walking styles. Predators like lions tend to walk with their claws retracted, leaving a smoother impression, while herbivores like antelopes may leave deeper and evenly-spaced prints.
3. Observe the arrangement of tracks
Wildlife encounters and footprints can reveal much about the behavior of different African animals! Many of them travel in packs or herds, making it harder for them to be hunted by predators. Multiple tracks together can indicate a social hierarchy or pack behavior, providing insight into what sort of animal grouping they belong to.
4. Consider the surrounding environment
The environment you observe the tracks in can also provide numerous clues to the animal’s identity. After all, not all species of African animals prefer the same kind of environment. While wildlife like elephants enjoy wetlands and watering holes, wildcats tend to prefer rocky outcropping areas where they can both rest and stalk prey.
Connecting with nature through tracks on your safari
Are you ready to connect with nature like never before? Discover Africa provides incredible safari experiences that allow you to observe all of the unique wildlife that this continent has to offer.
Get started planning your next safari trip now and book with Discover Africa. Click here to connect with efficient and friendly customer service us directly!
