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At the bottom half of the zoo you will find our Edge of Africa section. Here you will find our cheetah’s, spotted hyena’s, mandrills, red river hogs, warthogs and other smaller African species.

We have had previous successful births with our Spotted hyena and hope to be able to help maintain the population of this species within the captive environment.

Our mandrill troop at Colchester Zoo have a very successful breeding record, with offspring born yearly.

We have a group of red river hogs here at Colchester Zoo. These wild species of pig are also known as bushpigs.

We have a successful breeding pair of cheetahs, which are part of a European breeding programme (EEP).


Animals in Edge of Africa

African Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps)
Birds

African Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps)

Edge of Africa

Area:
East Africa
Status:
Endangered
Quick Fact:

The Crowned cranes are recognisable from the stiff, golden feathers which is on the top of their head.

L’hoest Monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti)
Mammals

L’hoest Monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Republic of Congo, Western Uganda
Status:
Vulnerable
Quick Fact:

L'hoest monkeys have a white ruff that frames the face with distinctive deep set orange eyes. Their bodies are black and have long legs which are grizzled with grey. They have a chestnut coloured “saddle” at the base of their back.

Kirk’s Dik-Dik (Madoqua Kirkii)
Mammals

Kirk’s Dik-Dik (Madoqua Kirkii)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Eastern Africa
Status:
Least concern
Quick Fact:

The dik-dik is one of the smallest members of the antelope family measuring a maximum of 45cm high.

Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola)
Mammals

Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Central, Eastern and Southern Africa
Status:
Least concern
Quick Fact:

The blue duiker gets its name from the bluish hairs on its back. Duiker is a Dutch Afrikaans word, meaning to dive, referring to the duiker’s tendency to dive into dense cover when startled.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Big Cats

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Northern and central Africa and small areas of the Middle East
Status:
Vulnerable and listed on Appendix I of CITES
Quick Fact:

The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 87 kilometres per hour.

Why not learn more about the cheetahs at their encounter?

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
Mammals

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Western Africa including South Cameroon and Gabon
Status:
Vulnerable and listed on Appendix I of CITES.
Quick Fact:

The mandrill is not only the largest monkey in the world, but it is also one of the most distinctive, with their extremely striking face, with a red stripe down the nose and blue flanges framing it.

Our mandrill troop at Colchester Zoo have a very successful breeding record, with offspring born yearly.

 

Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus)
Mammals

Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus)

Edge of Africa

Area:
West and central sub Saharan Africa to northern South Africa and Madagascar.
Status:
Least concern
Quick Fact:

Instantly recognisable for its bright rufous fur, the red river hog is undoubtedly the most strikingly coloured of all wild pigs

We have a group of red river hogs here at Colchester Zoo. These wild species of pig are also known as bushpigs. They have a bristly coat, which can vary from reddish to greyish-brown, and they have a white mane running down their backs. They also have 2 overgrown teeth which protrude out of their mouths as tusks.

Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Mammals

Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of the Congo rainforests and the far south
Status:
Least concern
Encounter:
15:00
Quick Fact:

We have had previous successful births with our spotted hyena and hope to be able to help maintain the population of this species within the captive environment.

Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)
Mammals

Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

Edge of Africa

Area:
Central, eastern and southern Africa, south of the Sahara desert.
Status:
Least concern
Quick Fact:

We have a group of warthogs living within their enclosure at Edge of Africa.

The warthog gets its name from the warts on its face and these warts help to protect the face and eyes from an opponent's tusks when fighting.


Explore other enclosures:

Aardvark Burrow

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Australian Rainbows

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Bears of the Rising Sun

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Call of the Wild

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Canopy of South America

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Chimpanzee Lookout

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Colenso Village

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Dragons of Komodo

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Elephant Kingdom

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Familiar Friends

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Feathers of the Forest

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Gelada Plateau

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Guinea Pig Village

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Iguana Forest

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Inca Trail

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Island Dwellers

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Kingdom of the Wild

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Koi Niwa

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Leopards at Ussuri Falls

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Lion Rock

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Lost Madagascar

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Meddelin Monkeys

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Otter Creek

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Out of Africa

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Playa Patagonia

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Rainforest Walkthrough

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Rajang's Forest

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Rivers Edge

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Suricata Sands

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The Pig Patch

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Tiger Taiga

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Vulture Valley

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Walking Giants

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Wallaby Walkabout

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World of Wings

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Worlds Apart

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