Uganda also known as the Pearl of Africa is indeed the pearl of the African continent. It is a country blessed with a variety of wild animals found in its ten different national parks. Among these are four of the top 5 fastest land animals in the entire world. During our exciting game drive during your Uganda Wildlife Safari, you will get a chance to come face to face with these animals.
Below we bring you 5 of the world’s fastest land animals and where you can see them while in Uganda.
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The Cheetah
Number one on this list is the cheetah with a recorded top speed of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour
This large catlike animal mainly lives in Africa and some regions within the Middle East. This is the only animal within the cat family that has non-retractable claws plus pads which, by their nature do not allow the animals to grip. It’s for that reason that cheetahs can’t climb vertical trees, but can reach lower branches on a tree).
According to the latest records, the cheetah is the land animal that has attained without a doubt the fastest speed among all animals exciting in the world today, with a recorded top speed of 120 kilometers per hour or 75 miles per hour in short shoves covering a maximum distance of 500 meters (or 1,600 feet. Unique about this animal is that it can accelerate from 0 to more than 100 kilometers per hour in just three seconds. may be something worth noting is that these animals can only sprint this fast for just a couple of shoves, therefore it has to be in close proximity to its prey before jumping out and scaring its unsuspecting prey.
Its body is smaller when compared to most savannah predators, so the cheetah tries as much to avoid any fights especially with fellow predators like the lion; instead it runs off.
In Uganda the Cheetah can be seen in Kidepo National Park
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The Pronghorn Antelope
Number two on this list is the Pronghorn antelope with a recorded top speed of 86 kilometers (61 miles) per hour
This savannah antelope is has been recorded to reach a maximum speed of 86 kilometers (61 miles) per hour and it’s the second the second fastest land animal. They have the ability of sprinting at half that speed for very long distances. They were named so because of their big horns which bend forward.
This exceptional speed has enabled this antelope to escape attacks from their predators through running away.
They are commonly seen in Alberta and southern Saskatchewan within Canada, Mexico and some states within the United States. These are not found in Uganda.
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The Wildebeest
Number three on this list is the wildebeest with a recorded top speed of 50 miles per hour
The wildebeest is a hoofed mammal and an antelope species that belongs to the Connochaetes genus. Its name is of Dutch origin to mean ‘wild beast’ or in Afrikaans beast means ‘cattle’.
Despite their large size (on average weighing 475 pounds), the animals can run at a top speed of up to 50 miles per hour. The main predators are: lions, cheetahs, crocodiles and hyenas.
They are commonly seen in Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
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The Thomson’s Gazelle
Number four on this list is the Thomson’s Gazelle with a recorded top speed of 50 miles per hour
These fast animals were named after Joseph Thomson one of the early explorers and can sprint as fast as 50 miles per hour. Physically they have beautiful coats covered with white far below the belly, the midsection is black and then the tops of their bodies are covered with brown far. The Thomson’s Gazelle usually grow up to 15 years.
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The Lion
Number Five on this list is the lion with a recorded top speed of 50 miles per hour
This is among the 4 big cats within genus Panthera, and one of the members of the Felidae family. Fully grown males can grow to a weight of 250 kg and this is the second wild cat coming after the tigers.
Today wild lions can be seen within Sub-Saharan-Africa as well as on the Asia. Sadly this species disappeared from Northern Africa. this animal can run at a fast speed of up to 50 kilometers which gives them a great advantage over their prey. Their life span is up to 14 years.
In Uganda, the lion can be seen in all the national parks in Uganda besides Mgahinga, Bwindi and Lake Mburo National Park.
For more information about Africa Wildlife, visit adventureugandasafari.com
