Mammals of Mutinondo

We can't promise that you will see any large mammals during your visit to Mutinondo; hunting from local villages, along with dense vegetation, keeps a surprising variety of game well hidden in the area. Mutinondo's mammals are truly wild, unprotected by fences or government patrols, so when they remain in the area, we treat it as an honour, and we hope you do too. Many of our animals are naturally wide-ranging, which fences would cut off, and wire from fencing is unfortunately often used in snares, which is why we prefer our wildlife entirely free-range.

We try to work with the community to offer opportunities for alternative income, but unfortunately, illegal hunting is still common, and the local legal system has not fully committed to enforcing wildlife laws.

Mutinondo Wilderness Mammal List

Bisa/Bemba names, supplied by members of our staff, are written in brackets following the English name.

Primates, Monkeys, baboons and galagos: Thick-tailed bushbaby (Changa) Otolemur crassicaudatus; Southern African lesser bushbaby (Kabundi) Galago moholi; Yellow baboon Papio cynocephalus; Vervet monkey Chlorocebus sp.; Blue monkey Cercopithecus mitis opisthosticus (Rare, transient).

Lagomorphs, Rabbits and hares: Smith's red rock-rabbit Pronolagus rupestris; Scrub hare Lepus victoriae.

Rodents: Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis; Rock dormouse (Kabundi) Graphiurus (Claviglis) murinus; Tree squirrel/Kapale Paraxerus cepapi; Pouched/Giant Rat/Nsengere Cricetomys gambianus; Greater canerat/Nsenche Thyronomys swinderianus; Lesser canerat/Nsenche Thyronomys gregorianus; Spring hare Pedetes cf. capensis (Rare, possibly transient).

Bats: Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus.

Carnivorans, Cats, dogs and relatives: Leopard Panthera pardus; Lion Panthera leo (Rarely, transient); Caracal Felis caracal; Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta; Side-striped jackal Canis adustus; Cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis; Honey badger Mellivora capensis; African civet Civettictis civetta; Large spotted genet Genetta maculata; Slender mongoose Galerella sanguinea.

Artiodactyls, Antelope and other even-toed hoofed mammals: Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus; Warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus; Lichtenstein's hartebeest Alcephalus lichtensteinii; Common duiker Sylviocapra grimmia; Roan Hippotragus equinus; Sable Hippotragus niger; Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus; Sharpe's grysberg Raphicerus sharpei; Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii; Southern Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus; Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros (Rare, transient); Eland Taurotragus oryx; Reedbuck Redunca arundinium.

Hyrax: Yellow-Spot Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei.

Aardvarks: Aardvark/Ant-Bear Orycteropus afer.

Sengi: Chequered Sengi/Elephant Shrew Rhynchocyon cirnei.

This list is far from complete, as many of the smaller mammals are easily overlooked, and also, as public attitudes towards conservation improve in Zambia, some larger mammals are starting to range into areas of the country where they haven't been seen for some time.