Animals in Zambia
35 mammal species are recorded in Zambia in this dataset, 8 of them in a threatened Red List category. Zambia 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 Zambia.
They belong to 17 families, the best represented being Bovidae (7), Muridae (7), Cercopithecidae (4). By Red List category: 1 Critically Endangered, 3 Endangered, 4 Vulnerable, 3 Near Threatened, 23 Least Concern, 1 Data Deficient.
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 Zambia is missing here, and a wide-ranging animal is counted in every country it crosses. All 35 of them have a full written profile.
- Species recorded
- 35
- Threatened
- 8
- Continent
- Africa
- Data updated
- August 9, 2026
Conservation status in Zambia
The most threatened species in Zambia
8 of the 8 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
Angolan Colobus
Colobus angolensis
Vulnerable
Ansell's Shrew
Crocidura ansellorum
Endangered
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
Critically Endangered
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Vulnerable
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Vulnerable
Temminck's Ground Pangolin
Smutsia temminckii
Vulnerable
The families found in Zambia
- Bovidae 7
- Muridae 7
- Cercopithecidae 4
- Canidae 2
- Molossidae 2
- Soricidae 2
- Anomaluridae 1
- Bathyergidae 1
Every species recorded in Zambia
All 35 of them, written profiles first.

African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Endangered
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
Endangered
Angolan Colobus
Colobus angolensis
Vulnerable
Ansell's Shrew
Crocidura ansellorum
Endangered
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis
Critically Endangered
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Vulnerable
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Vulnerable
Temminck's Ground Pangolin
Smutsia temminckii
Vulnerable
Ansorge's Free-tailed Bat
Mops ansorgei
Least Concern
Blue Monkey
Cercopithecus mitis
Least ConcernBocage's Rock Rat
Aethomys bocagei
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
Congo Clawless Otter
Aonyx congicus
Near ThreatenedGrant's Rock Rat
Micaelamys granti
Least Concern
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Least Concern
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Least Concern
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Least ConcernKaiser's Rock Rat
Aethomys kaiseri
Least Concern
Large Wrinkle-lipped Bat
Mops major
Least Concern
Lord Derby's Scaly-tailed Squirrel
Anomalurus derbianus
Least ConcernMechow's Mole Rat
Fukomys mechowii
Least Concern
Namaqua Rock Rat
Micaelamys namaquensis
Least ConcernNyika Rock Rat
Aethomys nyikae
Least Concern
Pitman's Shrew
Crocidura pitmani
Data Deficient
Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
Near Threatened
Red Rock Rat
Aethomys chrysophilus
Least Concern
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
Least ConcernSide-striped Jackal
Lupulella adustus
Least Concern
Southern African Hedgehog
Atelerix frontalis
Least ConcernThomas's Rock Rat
Aethomys thomasi
Least Concern
Vervet Monkey
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Least Concern
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Least Concern
Where to go from Zambia
The countries in Africa that share the most species with Zambia, 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.
