South Africa
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Animals
National Animal
The Springbok“All my Best Friends have four legs.”
Tim Poirier
Animals commonly seen in the wild
Marine fauna:
Seals, whales, sharks, dolphins, penguins, stingrays.
Birds:
Cranes, parrots, vultures, canaries, woodpeckers, hawks, falcons, hornbills.
Land mammals:
Lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, foxes, deer.
Snakes and insects:
Tortoises and turtles, lizards, skinks, snakes, crocodiles.
Common sights you will not like
In the city and on the road
You can see stray dogs and cats roaming the streets and scavenging for food. However, there are organizations helping them through providing sterilization and bringing them to shelters.
In theCountryside
You can see starved animals in the Western side and in Northern Cape due to the severe drought. Horse riding is common practice.
General animal welfare issues
The Animal Protection Act of 1962 protects all animals provided that they are in captivity or under the control of humans. Critics therefore push to update the said legislation such that even wild animals not under human control will have some form of protection and rights.
Ratings for South Africa Animals
On passing laws sanctioning cruelty to animals (from A -best- to G -worst) according to the World Animal Protection Index:
D
Hunting or poaching:
Hunting is legal with a licence and permit. Commonly protected animals such as lions, leopards, white rhinos, buffaloes and elephants are allowed to be hunted. Rhino poaching has a growth rate of 9000% between 2007-2014.
Animal fights:
Dog fighting is illegal in South Africa. However, violators practice careful measures to avoid being caught.
We have not included the treatment of animals in the meat/fur/leather industries, zoos or circuses, animal testing as it unfortunately still happens in most countries.
