Africa’s Cutest Animals

All animals are cute and pretty, but there are some with very special features that make us go gooey on the inside. The big eyes, fuzzy-podgy bodies, unique coloration and coat designs, the sounds and all that are never the same!

Adventure Consults in Uganda offers five creatures it thinks are among the cutest animals in Africa:

Black and white colobus monkey

Oddly, these monkeys derive the name colobus from a Greek word meaning “mutilated” because, unlike other monkeys, the colobus do not have thumbs.

Common dwarf mongoose

Africa’s smallest carnivores are diurnal. They begin and end each day sunbathing and socializing with the pack at their burrows. Adventure consults clients have sighted these beautiful creatures while on morning game drives in Lake Mburo National Park.

Caracal

A caracal’s black, tufted ears give it a look different from most wild cats. This little cat can leap high into the air, making it an excellent hunter. The name derives from a Turkish word, karakulak (“black ear”).

River otter

All three African otter species are found in Uganda and Rwanda: the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis), the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the swamp otter or Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congica)

Bush baby

This tiny primate is named for a childlike wailing cry used to demarcate territory and communicate with their family members. They often nest in a thicket of vegetation or tree hollow, so you need experienced guide to help find them.