Dung beetles are the only non-human creature known to navigate using the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists tested their navigational abilities in an experiment where certain beetles wore hats that blocked the stars, while others wore clear hats. Dung beetles are also the strongest known insects in the world, capable of moving up to 50 times their body weight.

The goliath frog can reach over 13 inches in length and weigh over seven pounds. The animal can only be found in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, where it builds nests that lie adjacent to streams. Goliath frogs use rocks to construct these nests, which they can maneuver thanks to their impressive size.

Since ostriches do not have teeth, swallowing pebbles helps break up food in their gizzard. At any one time, you can find up to three pounds of pebbles in the gizzard of an adult ostrich. They never excrete these stones, but they do wear down over time. Animals known for swallowing rocks to aid in digestion are called gastroliths.

With a lengthy gestation period ranging between 18 and 22 months, elephants typically bear one calf every three to six years. At birth, the calves can weigh about 250 pounds, stand three feet tall, and drink up to three gallons of their mother's milk per day.

Cheetahs are capable of reaching impressive speeds of up to around 75 mph, though their average speed is around 40 mph. The cheetah usually reaches its top speed in short bursts. Cheetahs are also known for their impressive acceleration — they can go from 0 to 60 mph in just three seconds and three strides.

With an estimated population of 1.5 billion, the Red-billed Quelea is the most abundant bird species in the world. This bird, which is about the size of a sparrow, is native to sub-Saharan Africa, and can be found congregating in massive colonies of two million or more — the colonies can cover hundreds of acres.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to an estimated 600 mountain gorillas, over half of the global population of just around 1,000 gorillas. Many reside in Virunga National Park, Africa’s first national park, which was established in 1925.

They may seem like unlikely friends, but the massive rhinoceros and the small oxpecker bird have a mutually beneficial relationship. The birds will perch on the back of a rhinoceros and eat bugs off the horned creature’s skin, while also giving a warning call when they see a predator approaching.

Lions once roamed the African continent in huge numbers, but due to big game hunting and threats to their habitats, the population has dwindled to just 5% of their historic range. Of the estimated 22,000 wild lions remaining on the continent, approximately 14,000 to 15,000 of them live in Tanzania, which has an abundance of protected wildlife parks.

Giraffe Manor outside of Nairobi, Kenya, doubles as a 140-acre sanctuary for endangered Rothschild giraffes. The hotel features tall and wide windows, welcoming giraffes to peek their long necks inside and allowing hotel guests to feed them treats of dried grass pellets. Experts estimate there are fewer than 2,500 Rothschild giraffes remaining in the wild.

The scientific term for a group of wildebeests is a “confusion.” The moniker is appropriate given that the animal appears noisy and disoriented when traveling together. The largest concentrations of wildebeests can be found in southern Africa. Other interesting names for collective groups of African animals include a dazzle of zebras and a bloat of hippos.

Springboks are a variant of antelope native to the treeless plains of southern Africa. The animal is a symbol of continental pride, and it serves as both the mascot and nickname of South Africa’s famed rugby squad. Springboks are known for a special style of jumping called “pronking,” during which they reveal a concealed spinal crest of white hair.

Madagascar is home to over half of the world’s 200-plus chameleon species. And like most of the plant and animal life on Madagascar, these chameleons are found nowhere else on Earth. The number of chameleon species continues to grow; three new ones were identified on the island as recently as 2018.

In 2016, researchers in Africa took on the task of counting the continent’s elephants in the Great Elephant Census, which covered 18 countries and 295,000 square miles. The report found that Botswana in southern Africa was home to approximately 130,000 wild elephants — more than any other country on the continent (or in the world).

The African island nation of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa, is the only place in the world that lemurs (the world’s oldest living primates) call home. Madagascar is home to an estimated 112 species of lemur; the largest is Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, and the smallest is the indri. Some lemurs communicate via singing, whereas others use their potent odor.

Penguins generally prefer the cold, but South Africa's indigenous African penguin population likes to soak up the sun. The only species of penguin that lives in Africa, the birds are known for their distinctive braying sound. More than 3,000 of them can be found at Boulders Beach in Cape Town; the population was saved from the brink of extinction by valiant conservation efforts.

They may not resemble a horse to you, but the Greeks must have thought so. Hippos spend much of their daylight hours in rivers and lakes to keep cool. Their ears are on the top of their head, so they can listen for predators while remaining mostly submerged in water.

Starting in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and ending in Kenya’s Masai Mara, the Great Migration is one of the world’s most incredible natural displays. Every year, millions of wildebeest, zebras, antelopes, and other herd animals journey more than 1,800 miles in search of water and grazing pastures.

Though a clan is generally the more common term for a group of hyenas, it is also known as a cackle, and it can be as large as 80 members. The term seems fitting for the animals, which emit a laugh-like sound. However, it has nothing to do with humor — the sound is how hyenas express anger, frustration, and a warning to stay away.

Lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants, and African buffalo are collectively considered the “Big Five” animals of Africa — the ones visitors often hope to see on safari. The term “Big Five” originated in the 1800s and originally referred to the five mammals that were hardest for game hunters to capture. Today, however, there are laws in place to keep these majestic species from becoming endangered.

Nearly all of the world’s wild lions live in Africa. The majestic big cats are communal creatures and live in groups called prides. They are also the only cat species that roars together, with even young cubs joining in. This act of roaring as a group is usually intended to mark territory, and can be heard from up to five miles away.