Animals in Namibia
33 mammal species are recorded in Namibia in this dataset, 9 of them in a threatened Red List category. Namibia sits in Africa, where 267 species are recorded in total. Every species below is listed because the range description of its IUCN Red List assessment names Namibia.
They belong to 19 families, the best represented being Bovidae (9), Felidae (3), Bathyergidae (2). By Red List category: 1 Critically Endangered, 2 Endangered, 6 Vulnerable, 5 Near Threatened, 19 Least Concern.
These counts come from the text of each assessment rather than from an official country checklist, so a species whose assessment names a region without naming Namibia is missing here, and a wide-ranging animal is counted in every country it crosses. All 33 of them have a full written profile.
- Species recorded
- 33
- Threatened
- 9
- Continent
- Africa
- Data updated
- August 9, 2026
Conservation status in Namibia
The most threatened species in Namibia
8 of the 9 species recorded here that the IUCN Red List places in a threatened category — Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered.

African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Endangered
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
Endangered
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
Critically Endangered
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Vulnerable
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Vulnerable
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Vulnerable
Lion
Panthera leo
Vulnerable
Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra
Vulnerable
The families found in Namibia
- Bovidae 9
- Felidae 3
- Bathyergidae 2
- Canidae 2
- Equidae 2
- Rhinocerotidae 2
- Cercopithecidae 1
- Delphinidae 1
Every species recorded in Namibia
All 33 of them, written profiles first.

African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Endangered
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
Endangered
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
Critically Endangered
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Vulnerable
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Vulnerable
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Vulnerable
Lion
Panthera leo
Vulnerable
Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra
Vulnerable
Temminck's Ground Pangolin
Smutsia temminckii
Vulnerable
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
Least Concern
African Clawless Otter
Aonyx capensis
Near Threatened
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Least Concern
Black Wildebeest
Connochaetes gnou
Least Concern
Black-backed Jackal
Lupulella mesomelas
Least Concern
Brown Hyaena
Parahyaena brunnea
Near Threatened
Chacma Baboon
Papio ursinus
Least Concern
Common Eland
Tragelaphus oryx
Least Concern
Common Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Least Concern
Damara Mole Rat
Fukomys damarensis
Least Concern
Gemsbok
Oryx gazella
Least Concern
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Least Concern
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Least Concern
Heaviside's Dolphin
Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
Near Threatened
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Least Concern
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
Least Concern
Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Least Concern
Namaqua Dune Mole Rat
Bathyergus janetta
Least Concern
Namaqua Rock Rat
Micaelamys namaquensis
Least Concern
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Near Threatened
Pygmy Right Whale
Caperea marginata
Least Concern
Southern African Hedgehog
Atelerix frontalis
Least Concern
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
Least Concern
White Rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum
Near Threatened
Where to go from Namibia
The countries in Africa that share the most species with Namibia, by number of species recorded in both.
Species data from the IUCN Red List; countries are derived from the range description of each assessment. Last refreshed on August 9, 2026.
