Specialty African Game
When hunters consider game hunting in Africa, the top of many bucket lists starts with the Big 5, Dangerous 7, or specific Africa plains game, to name but a few. These game hunting trophies go with hunting safaris like peanut butter with jelly, but sometimes hunters want to hunt something different that they can include in their chosen game hunting safaris. Some hunters may seek a different hunting adventure, something unique from the usual focal animal species – and Africa is happy to oblige!
Luckily for them, Africa has various specialty animals that offer new and unique challenges when hunting them. These animals bring them the opportunity for great game hunting adventures, focusing on game species that are different, yet just as exceptional as those that international hunters may have focused on before.
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Animal Species Groupings While Game Hunting In Africa
When game hunting in Africa, animal species are typically divided into various categories, including dangerous game, African cats, African plains game, and small, medium, and large-sized antelopes.
1. Dangerous Game
Dangerous game are the most dangerous animals to hunt on the African continent. You would think that you would just be considering carnivores such as the African lion, leopard, and Nile crocodile in this group, but the herbivores are also extremely dangerous and include the likes of the African elephant, hippo, rhino, and Cape buffalo.
In fact, it has been said that the most dangerous animal on earth would be the Cape buffalo. It is unpredictable and aggressive and has even been known to hold a grudge, targeting hunters who have hunted and killed members of the herd. A group of Cape buffalo are also known as an obstinacy, which, trust be told, is a rather fitting name for them!
2. African Cats
The African Cats category also includes members of the Big 5, namely the lion and leopard, with other members including the world’s fastest land animal (cheetah), caracal, civet, and serval.
3. African Plains Game
Decades ago, hunters described these animals as ” plain ” compared to the larger, more vicious African big game and not allowing them as much of a hunting adventure or as much of a contest. The name stuck, but in more recent times, this rich group of antelopes have shown tenacity over varied terrain, hunting safari conditions and destinations, each challenging the hunter in different ways and means to allow for an African game hunting safari to test their skills, patience, persistence – and at times, their egos!
Popular African plains game that are often targeted when hunting in Africa include the wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, eland, gemsbok, springbok, impala, and nyala, amongst others.
4. Large, Medium & Small Antelopes
African antelopes can be divided into differently sized antelope, such as the large antelopes including the likes of the eland, kudu, sable, bongo, roan, and waterbuck, as well as medium-sized antelopes such as the springbok, impala, blesbok, bushbuck, waterbuck and reedbuck.
Small antelopes such as the mountain reedbuck and royal antelope also include a much sought-after grouping called the Tiny 10. These are some of the tiniest and most challenging antelopes to target when hunting in Africa. The Tiny Ten group is the suni, steenbok, oribi, blue duiker, Cape grysbok, Damara dik-dik, gray duiker, klipspringer, red duiker, and Sharpe’s grysbok.
5. Specialty Animals
The animals that are not categorized into any of the above-mentioned groupings are part of a list of specialty animals or are regarded as specialty animals in terms of hunting practice.
This group includes various types of animals, both herbivorous and carnivorous, some calling land, trees, or water home, with scales, fur, and feathers!
Popular specialty species that can be hunted in the wild include the baboon, vervet monkey, hyena, red river hob, bushpig, ostrich, aardwolf, warthog, mongooses, aoudad, Cape fox, African rock python, Gaboon viper, porcupine, and the notorious honey badger.
Specialty Game When Hunting In Africa
Specialty game are game animals that are unusual or unique and not the average type of animal that you would target when hunting in the wild, such as your Big 5, Dangerous 7 or Africa plains game.
When hunting in the wild, these animals usually form part of a larger hunting package or may even be seen as an opportunistic hunt as they are targeted purely by chance while focusing on other species. An example of this, is coming across a troop of baboons in the middle of your Africa plains game hunt.
Some of the more popular specialty game animals include:
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena, also known as the laughing hyena, this animal has a very distinctive laugh that sounds almost human.
Striped Hyena
The striped hyena has a good deal of gray fur, with easily identifiable stripes, but is rarely even seen on a game hunting safaris.
Baboon
Baboons are often seen as vermin or pests by farmers, as they come into the area and cause damage to crops and even attempt to grab an easy meal in the form of young lambs or other livestock. They can be quite aggressive at times, and have been known to attack humans.
Aardwolf
The aardwolf is a nocturnal animal who spends their night foraging for termites, eating up to 300,00 per sitting. They provide an extra level of excitement on this hunting adventure, as they are hunted at night, using spotlights.
Mongooses
There are a numerous mongooses that are found in Africa and targeting when game hunting in the wild. These include the water mongoose, the banded mongoose, the white-tailed mongoose, the yellow mongoose, common dwarf mongoose, and slender mongoose.
Each species of mongoose has their own individual challenge for hunters: Some are nocturnal, others are extremely adept at camouflage, while others are very quick. Be prepared for some exciting and fast-paced African hunts when targeting these mongooses!
Rock Hyrax (Dassie)
The rock hyrax is often referred to as the “dassie” in southern Africa and is known for their love of the sun. You will often spot them just lazing on a rock, relaxing and enjoying the warm African sunshine.
They may appear to be quite lazy and “chilled” but are both extremely agile and quick – so be prepared!
The Ostrich
Africa is home to the world’s largest bird, the ostrich, which weighs more than 300 pounds. The ostrich may be flightless, but it is also the world’s fast-running bird, reaching impressive speeds of up to 43 miles per hour at a sprint.
Vervet Monkeys
While it is illegal to hunt vervet monkeys in South Africa, they remain a popular game hunting trophy in several other African countries. They are hunted mainly through opportunistic moments but can also be targeted by building a blind close to a water source, such as a river or dam, that they frequent.
Honey Badger
Honey badgers are notoriously fierce, fearless, and aggressive, living solitary lives. Perhaps because nobody wants to be around a grumpy animal all day long? These omnivores are hunted mainly at night, using spotlights and bait.
Cape Fox
The Cape fox is omnivorous and is most active one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. They are generally hunted at night and form part of larger game hunting packages.
Bushpig
Bushpigs are often seen as pests by farmers whose crops they damage and annihilate. They are more active at night, though they can sometimes be seen during the day, allowing for the perfect opportunistic hunt.
African Porcupine
Did you know that the African porcupine is actually the world’s largest rodent and the world’s largest porcupine? These animals are usually an opportunistic hunt but can also be targeted at night using spotlights. They are nocturnal, solitary animals sporting a heavily built frame, bristle-covered bodies with short legs and tails.
Warthogs
After watching Pumba in The Lion King, we all know what a warthog looks like!
Warthogs, in real life, run just like in the movies, with their tails firmly held up in the air. Watching a family of warthogs run across an African landscape has the ability to make one laugh, all these tubby bodies racing across the veld with their little tails standing upright like aerials!
Snakes
Although not a very common hunting target, snakes do form part of our specialty game hunting adventures. In fact, we have many of our international guests stressing about the possibility of meeting a snake on a game hunting safari! Our advice is always to stay behind the professional hunter, and to step where they step! Given a chance, a snake would generally rather retreat than stay and attack, so keep your eyes peeled on the horizon for your game hunting target, and on the ground to avoid stepping on a snake!
Two species are generally targeted, including the African rock python, which is illegal to hunt in South Africa, along with the Gaboon viper.
Both snakes have their own set of unique challenges to set the hunter, with the option of being squeezed or bitten. Personally, I would avoid these at all costs.
Red River Hog
Although mainly nocturnal, these animals are often active during the day. Red river hogs are often seen as pests, due to how they wreck cultivated fields! They are hunted through walk-and-stalk or again are simply opportunistic hunts, being in the wrong place at the wrong time – for them anyway!
Giraffe
Although not one of your average specialty game species, giraffes are seen as being exceptional and special game hunting trophies simply because of their size. Their height alone gives them an advantage of many other animals, as they are able to see and assess danger long before others can. Combine this with excellent hearing, and you can understand why they are seen as a challenge to hunt.
Where Can You Find These Specialty Animals When Hunting In The Wild?
Most of the specialty animals can be hunted throughout southern Africa, with exceptions being the red river hog that can only be hunted in Cameroon, DRC, Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Benin, and Liberia.
The striped hyena is available for hunting in Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Chad, Niger, Mali, Libya, Egypt and Algeria, while it is illegal to hunt the African rock python in South Africa.
What Hunting Methods Are Used For Specialty Animals When Hunting In Africa?
These specialty animals include a variety of hunting methods, depending on the actual animal being targeted on the game hunting safari.
They may simply be an opportunistic hunt, while busy on a game hunting safari targeting other animals. Animals commonly targeted in this way include the baboon, vervet monkey, porcupine, or bushpig. They may simply have the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Other animals are targeted through the walk-and-stalk method, including the Cape fox and red river hog.
Other animals are hunted playing the waiting game, at a blind, for the animals to appear. Vervet monkeys are often targeted in this manner, as well as warthogs.
Baits are a common method used to hunt animals, including the honey badger.
Yet others, such as the aardwolf, porcupine, bushpig and Cape fox are targeted at night, using spotlights.
Diverse And Unique Species On A Thrilling African Hunt!
The specialty animals are a unique group available to hunt in Southern Africa. They provide hunters with diverse challenges in hunting them, providing many happy hunting adventures as well as different and unusual game hunting trophies. Added to that, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have hunted some of Africa’s most exceptional animals, providing you with a talking point for years to come!
Read more about Africa’s unique Specialty Animals.
Author: B Hershensohnn