ZAMBIAN AND UGANDAN WILDLIFE
In 2023/24 medical relief charity Global First Responder (GFR) sent teams of volunteers on its missions to Zambia and Uganda to provide medical and dental treatment for rural communities.
As part of Drawing for the Planet's (DftP) partnership with GFR, its teams took our drawing kits, including ballpoint pens kindly donated by agood Company, for children to draw Zambian and Ugandan wildlife while they waited for treatment.
In 2023, children from year 5, Harton Primary School, South Shields, UK also participated in the project, creating drawings of Zambian and Ugandan wildlife in workshops run by artist and founder of Drawing for the Planet, Jane Lee McCracken. As part of the project Jane created a montage featuring year 5's drawings.
Scroll down to view the page sections:
- The Project: find out more about the project
- The Artists: meet some of the artists
- The Artwork: Harton Primary School montage
- The Wildlife: learn about Zambia and Uganda's epic wildlife illustrated by a selection of drawings
- Partners: about DftP and Global First Responder
THE PROJECT
OVERVIEW
The aim of the Zambian Wildlife and Ugandan Wildlife projects was to give children in Zambia and Uganda new and joyful experiences through drawing—and to celebrate the beauty of local wildlife while raising awareness of its vulnerability. This was achieved thanks to GFR team's delivering the projects during their missions to both countries. The project fulfilled DftP's mission to reach more communities across the globe and give the gift of art, education and nature.
Global First Responder is an entirely volunteer-run medical relief organisation. A key focus of its humanitarian missions is sustainability, which means repeated missions to countries to foster continuing development.
Volunteers from across the world apply and offer their skills, time and dedication to work in challenging environments. Often they are required during the mission to learn roles that fall outside the medical field.
Jane designed a double-sided flyer featuring images of Zambian and Ugandan wildlife, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. This could easily be transported to both countries and distributed to children by the GFR team while requiring minimal explanation. Jane said:
"By giving children the flyer and a pen and pencils to keep, we hope to inspire them to draw—not only during the treatment clinics but afterwards".
PROJECT AIMS:
- To highlight the beauty of local wildlife while raising awareness of vulnerable species
- Encourage participants, through drawing and education, to make emotional connections with the species they study: if we care we want to conserve.
It was also important that DftP drawing kits were eco-friendly. This was accomplished by printing on recycled paper and using agoodcomany's eco-friendly ballpoint pens.
THE ARTISTS
Meet some of our Zambian artists! GFR clinics are extremely busy, and it is not always possible for volunteers to photograph children’s finished drawings to include in project montages. GFR's Amy Jordheim and Ingrid Kreis captured these beautiful images of some of the children with their drawings.
THE ARTWORKS
The Zambian and Ugandan Wildlife montage, created by Jane, features drawings of 40 species by children from year 5, Harton Primary School. CLICK on the image to download and share a PDF.
THE WILDLIFE
Zambia and Uganda are rich in wildlife, from the devil's flower mantis to the African savannah elephant, and some iconic species, such as the white-backed vulture are critically endangered. Explore the wildlife of Zambia and Uganda through the drawings by Year 5, Harton Primary school below; unless otherwise indicated, most species inhabit both countries. Learn from information provided by the Born Free Foundation, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and other sources:
MAMMALS
EASTERN GORILLA (UGANDA)
Gorilla beringei
Conservation Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 2,600 population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Flynn
"Gorillas, as well as other great apes, play a vital role in seed dispersal. Their dung contains whole seeds which when deposited around the nest promotes plant growth in areas of clear forest. So, these apes help to rejuvenate the ecosystem, and have a potentially positive influence on forest restoration efforts. The word “gorilla” is from a Greek word meaning “tribe of hairy women”! The largest of the great apes, the gorilla is thought to have shared a common ancestor with humans about 10 million years ago, and today, shares approximately 98% of its DNA with us. Gorilla arms are much longer than their legs, meaning, although they can stand upright, they usually walk on all fours using the backs of their hands as feet – called a knuckle walk. Adult males are known as silverbacks due to their characteristic silver hairs." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/gorillas
AFRICAN SAVANNA ELEPHANT
Loxodonta africana
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 415,000 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Georgie and Liam
"Both species of African elephants – Savannah and Forest – are keystone species in their different habitats and play a crucial role in maintaining their ecosystems. They help disperse plants by leaving undigested seeds in their dung. Uprooting, bending and trampling trees alters their landscape helping other animals survive and encouraging plant growth. Elephants can communicate using vocalisations, body language, scents and touch. Over long distances, elephants can use their ‘rumbles’, which are low-pitched sounds that aren’t audible to humans, but can be heard by other elephants in the air and through vibrations in the ground... African savannah elephants are the larger of the two species and are characterised by rough, thick skin, curved tusks (the elephant’s incisor teeth) and large ears, that are packed with blood vessels, allowing their ears to act like an air conditioner." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/african-elephants
CHIMPANZEE (UGANDA)
Pan troglodytes
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 415,000 population trend DECREASING (140,000 central chimpanzees, declining /181,000-256,000 eastern chimpanzees, declining /18,000-65,000 western chimpanzees, declining/6,000-9,000 Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, declining
Drawings: CJ and Grace
"Chimpanzees, as well as other great apes, play a vital role in seed dispersal. Their dung contains whole seeds which promotes plant growth in areas of clear forest. So, these apes help to rejuvenate the ecosystem, and have a potentially positive influence on forest restoration efforts. As chimpanzees share about 99% of our DNA, making them the closest living relative of humans – some argue that they should be taxonomically categorised as Homo, the same genus as humans. Chimpanzees are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of foods including fruit, pith, leaves, shoots, flowers, honey and bark, insects and larvae, as well as vertebrate prey such as red colobus, other species of monkey, duiker, young bushpig and bushbuck." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/chimpanzees
AFRICAN WILD DOG
Lycaon pictus
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 6,679 (1,409 mature individuals) population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Maci
"Like other carnivores, wild dogs are important to the ecosystem because they control the populations of herbivores which, in large numbers, would damage the ecosystem by overgrazing. The African wild dog can run at speeds up to 44mph – as fast as a greyhound! They are amongst the most effective predators in Africa with success rate of 80%. Their scientific name, Lycaon pictus, is derived from the Greek for wolf and the Latin for painted and refers to the dogs’ mottled coat of black, brown, white, russet and yellow. Each wild dog has its own unique pattern. They have large, rounded ears, which swivel to detect minute sounds, long legs and a bushy tail with a white tip. Male and females are roughly the same size." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/african-wild-dogs
LION
Panthera Leo
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: 23,000 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Henry and Miles
"Lions are a top predator, meaning they have an important role in regulating the populations and behaviour of herbivorous species such as zebra and wildebeest. If too numerous the grasslands and forests would become overgrazed and unproductive. Therefore, lions have a key role in ensuring the preservation of their ecosystem, benefitting both wildlife and people. Lions are also culturally significant to many people, often symbolising courage, and strength." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/lions
LEOPARD
Panthera pardus
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Martha, Jack and Alfie
"Leopards are some of the top predators in their environment and they play an important role in controlling the populations of herbivores and other small animals that they may prey on. Without predation, herbivore populations could increase to unsustainable levels, negatively impacting the abundance and diversity of vegetation. Due to leopard’s space requirements, they are considered to be an ‘umbrella’ species, meaning that by protecting leopards and their habitat, we are helping to protect many other species that live alongside leopards." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/leopards
GIRAFFE
Giraffa camelopardalis
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: 68,293 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Henry, Molly, Reuben, Layla G. and Dakota
"Giraffes are known as keystone species, which means they have a significant impact on the habitat they live in. By browsing high up vegetation, they promote growth of plants and trees, creating microhabitats for other species. Through their dung and urine, they help distribute nutrients throughout their habitat. A giraffe’s spots are completely unique to each individual, much like our fingerprints. We can use their spot pattern to identify them! The giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world – a male giraffe stands up to 5.5m high and weighs nearly two tonnes. However, size differs between males and females, who are generally smaller at an average of 4.3m." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/giraffes
CHEETAH
Acinonyx jubatus
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: 6, 517 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Connor, Erin and Poppy
"Cheetah help control the population and density of herbivores in the ecosystem, which, if not controlled, can degrade the environment through over-grazing. The fastest animal on land, the cheetah can accelerate at the rate of a sports car and sprint at up to 75mph. A cheetah’s spine is particularly flexible, and an enlarged heart, wide nostrils and increased lung capacity allow for better oxygen intake. All this means that they’re able to cover eight metres in a stride! The cheetah is a stunning animal, easily recognised by its spotted coat, black tear marks below its eyes and long legs and back. Males are slightly larger but it is difficult to tell them apart from females." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/cheetah
HIPPOPOTAMUS
Hippopotamus amphibius
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend STABLE
Drawings: Rosie and Dolan
Hippos are important to the aquatic ecosystems they live in. They can help maintain river channels, moving soil and modifying the underwater landscape, helping to create complex habitats that support numerous other species. Trails or paths made by hippos in and out of rivers and pools can also serve as drainage channels during floods. Their dung spreading behaviour, both in and out of the water, cycles nutrients in the ecosystem and can boost fish populations, which helps support people who are dependent on fish for protein. By grazing on land, hippos also create ‘grazing lawns’, which provides habitat and attracts other herbivores." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/hippos
TEMMINCK'S PANGOLIN
Smutsia temminckii
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Olivia, Daniel and Jaxe
"Pangolins eat termites and ants so they contribute to the regulation of insect populations which if not kept in check can cause damage to vegetation and crops. Because they spend so much time digging – either for food or to excavate underground burrows to sleep and give birth in – they play an important role in mixing and moving soil around, which releases nutrients and helps maintain the fertility of the soil. There are eight species of pangolin: Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Temminck’s or ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), Philippine pangolin (Mania culionensis), giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), white-bellied or tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), black-bellied or long-tailed pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/pangolins
WHITE RHINO
Ceratotherium simum
Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 10,080 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Lucy and Ethan
"Rhinos are a keystone species, meaning they play a vitally important role in shaping and maintain their ecosystem. By wallowing in mud and water, rhinos help create natural waterholes which other animals can utilise. They also eat a lot of plants and then recycle nutrients in their ecosystem through their dung and urine. Their dung is an important habitat for numerous invertebrates, which, in turn, helps boost the populations of small birds and mammals who feed on insects. There are five species of rhino: white rhino (Ceratotherium simum), black rhino (Diceros bicornis), Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornus), Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus)... The white rhino is a grazer with a square lip, adapted to eating grasses." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/rhinos
PLAINS ZEBRA
Equus quagga
Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 500,000 (150,000 - 250,000 mature individuals) population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Madisyn
"Zebras eat a variety of grass species in different habitats. They can eat tough, long grasses that other species cannot and, therefore, they can ‘prepare’ a habitat for other grazers who only eat short grasses. Their foraging behaviour helps increase species diversity. When they migrate, they also play an important role in moving nutrients to different ecosystems through their dung. A group of zebras is commonly called a ‘dazzle’, named for the motion dazzle effect created by a group of running zebras. Zebras are part of the horse family. There are three species of zebra found in the wild including the plains zebra, the Grevy’s zebra and the mountain zebra. Within these three species are multiple subspecies including six subspecies of plains zebra and two subspecies of mountain zebra." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/zebras
AFRICAN BUFFALO
Syncerus caffer
Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 398,000-401,000 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Jack, Lewis and Riley
African Wildlife Foundation/African Buffalo:
"There is only one species of buffalo in Africa but four distinct subspecies exist: forest buffalo, West African savanna buffalo, Central African buffalo, and southern savanna buffalo (also known as the Cape buffalo). Savanna buffaloes are large, heavy cow-like animals. They vary greatly not only in size but in the shapes of their horns and their coloring. Adults are usually dark gray or black (or even look red or white if they have been wallowing in mud of that color) and the young are often reddish-brown. The smaller forest buffalo maintains the red color even as an adult, although in western Uganda, many savanna buffaloes are also red or pale orange instead of black. Adults lose hair as they age. Both males and females have heavy, ridged horns that grow straight out from the head or curve downward and then up. The horns are formidable weapons against predators and are used when jostling for space within the herd; males use the horns in fights for dominance." Read the complete description: www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/african-buffalo
STRIPED HYAENA (UGANDA)
Hyaena hyaena
Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 5,000 - 9,999 population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Ryan
"Five races of striped hyenas live in scrub woodland as well as in arid and semiarid open country from Morocco to Egypt and Tanzania, Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, and India. These small hyenas average 30–40 kg. Colour is pale gray with black throat fur and stripes on the body and legs. The hair is long, with a crest running from behind the ears to the tail; the crest is erected to make the animal look larger." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/hyena
SERVAL
Leptailurus serval
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend STABLE
Drawings: Faith and Layla
African Wildlife Foundation/Serval:
"Servals are medium-sized wild cats with tawny, black-spotted coats and long necks and long legs that allow them to see over savanna grasses. They also have large ears and an acute sense of hearing. These cat's spotted coats are sometimes marketed as young leopards or cheetahs and can attract a hearty price on the black market. This, as well as their tendency to attack poultry, makes them a target for hunters. Consequently, servals are no longer found in heavily populated areas." Read the complete description: www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/serval
GREATER KUDU
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: 300,000-350,000 population trend STABLE
Drawings: Madisyn and Layla-Mae
"Both the greater kudu and its close cousin, the lesser kudu, have stripes and spots on the body, and most have a chevron of white hair between the eyes. Males have long, spiral horns. The greater kudu's horns are spectacular and can grow as long as 1.8 meters (about 6 feet), making 2-1/2 graceful twists. Female greater kudus are noticeably smaller than the males. By contrast, lesser kudus are even smaller — about 90 centimeters at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to 105 kilograms (230 pounds), and females generally weigh about 22 kilograms less. Lesser kudus have smaller horns than their larger cousins and have conspicuous white patches on the upper and lower parts of the neck. Although both species are bluish-gray, grayish-brown, or rust color, the lesser kudus have five to six more lateral white stripes, for a total of 11 to 15. Both species have a crest of long hair along the spine, and greater kudus also have a fringe under the chin." Read the complete description: www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/kudu
CARACAL
Caracal caracal
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNKNOWN
Drawings: Lewis, Sonny, Zack and Leo
"[The] Caracal, [is a] short-tailed cat found in hills, deserts, and plains of Africa, the Middle East, and central and southwestern Asia. The caracal is a sleek short-haired cat with a reddish brown coat and long tufts of black hairs on the tips of its pointed ears. Long-legged and short-tailed, it stands 40–45 cm (16–18 inches) tall at the shoulder and varies from 66 to 76 cm (about 26 to 30 inches) in length excluding its 20–25-cm (7.9–9.8-inch) tail. The swift caracal is generally solitary and nocturnal in habit. It preys on birds and mammals, such as gazelles, hares, and peafowl... Although the caracal is classified as a species of least concern worldwide by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), it is considered threatened or endangered in North Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, and India." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/caracal-mammal
SPOTTED HYAENA
Crocuta crocuta
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Sunny
"Spotted hyenas’ scavenging behaviour – eating all parts of an animal, including the bones – makes them especially significant to their habitat. They help clean their ecosystem of carcasses, which reduces the rates of disease, especially highly deadly anthrax. There is some evidence that hyenas appear resistant to anthrax, canine distemper and rabies. Hyenas are also very successful hunters, which helps keep herbivore populations from growing too big. Although spotted hyenas resemble dogs, they are more closely related to mongoose and meerkats." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/spotted-hyenas
AFRICAN CIVET
Civettictis civetta
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNKNOWN
Drawings: Alix, Rylee and Alexander
World Land Trust/African Civet:
"The African civet is one of the largest members of the mammal family known as viverrids, with mature adults weighing up to 20 kg. Resembling a racoon, the civet has a long neck, pointed snout and a wide head with small eyes and rounded ears. The coat is coarse and wiry with a steady transition of colour from a yellowy brown on the back down to a white underside. They have distinctive white neck stripes and black spots along the shoulders that smear into lines over the back legs. A short mohawk-like stripe of black hair runs all the way down the spine, from the head down to the tip of the tail and stands on end when the civet is excited or scared." Read the complete description: www.worldlandtrust.org/species/mammals/african-civet
BANDED MONGOOSE
Mungos mungo
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend STABLE
Drawing: Ethan
Discover Wildlife/Banded Mongoose:
"Banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) are poor cousins of the meerkat; close taxonomic relatives with a fraction of the fame but the same goofy charisma (in spades). These highly gregarious creatures live in boisterous rabbles of up to 40 family members and cruise the savannahs of southern and eastern Africa in search of beetle-shaped food. This is done as a fluid mass, which washes through the grassland as an undulating wave of stripey grey fur and mellifluous chatter. Mongooses are big on gossip: they talk to each other constantly in a succession of soft purrs as a form of vocal grooming. Soothing tones keep the troop safe because they allow them to stay in close physical contact with each other while their heads are ferreting around in the sand in search of grubs." Read the complete article: www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/banded-mongoose-facts
VERVET MONKEY
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Eilidh
"Vervets play an important role in the ecosystem, spreading seeds through their dung. It means vervets are instrumental in the recovery of degraded habitats and are responsible for ensuring of success of native plant life. Vervets are an important source of prey for animals higher up the food chain, including leopards and snakes. They also hunt small animals such as insects and birds, helping to control these populations. Vervet monkeys have a complex system of alarm calls which allow them to ‘talk’ to each other to warn of attack and how to escape." Read the complete description: www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/vervet-monkeys
DE BRAZZA'S MONKEY (UGANDA)
Cercopithecus neglectus
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNKNOWN
Drawing: Jensen and Miley W.
Britannica/De Brazza's Monkey:
"De Brazza’s monkey [is a] large brightly coloured guenon widely distributed through central Africa and into Ethiopia and western Kenya, particularly in forests near rivers and swamps. DeBrazza’s monkey is a white-bearded primate with speckled yellow-gray fur and a white stripe along each thigh. Hands, feet, and tail are black. On the forehead is a browband of white-tipped red hairs surmounted by a black band; the cheek fur is grizzled black and yellow. DeBrazza’s monkey is rather heavy-set, with females weighing 4 kg (9 pounds) and males 7.5 kg. It has a less lively nature than some of the other guenons and is less arboreal, living more on the forest floor."
RED-TAILED MONKEY
Cercopithecus ascanius
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Ellie and Seamus
IUCN Red List/Red-tailed Monkey:
Cercopithecus ascanius is an arboreal frugivore-insectivore that also feeds on young leaves. The species is found in moist lowland, submontane and montane forests, swamp, riverine and gallery forest, and forest mosaic. It occurs in secondary or regenerating forests, forest islands and plantations, and prefers forest edges. It is absent from the interior of primary forest." Read the complete description: www.iucnredlist.org/species/4212/17947340
NORTHERN LESSER GALAGO (UGANDA)
Galago senegalensis
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Jorgie, Zofia, Riley and Eilidh
Britannica/Bushbaby:
[The Galago also known as] "Bush baby are any of more than 20 species of small attractive arboreal primates native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are gray, brown, or reddish to yellowish brown, with large eyes and ears, long hind legs, soft, woolly fur, and long tails. Bush babies are also characterized by the long upper portion of the feet (tarsus) and by the ability to fold their ears. They are nocturnal, and they feed on fruits, insects, and even small birds, but a major component of the diet of most species is gum (tree exudate). This they extract by gouging holes in trees and scraping the bark, using their toothcombs (forward-tilted lower incisor and canine teeth). Galagos cling to and leap among the trees; the smaller forms, such as the lesser bush baby (Galago senegalensis), are extremely active and agile. When they descend to the ground, they sit upright, and they move around by jumping with their hind legs like jerboas." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/bush-baby
BIRDS
WHITE-BACKED VULTURE
Gyps africanus
Conservation Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Maci and Kieran
"Vultures around the world face the threat of becoming extinct in our lifetime. Vultures provide an invaluable ‘clean-up’ service to the ecosystem. Without them disease would be rife and a boom in other scavengers would occur. These scavengers do not possess the unique digestive ability that vultures do – the mechanism that prevents the spread of disease and assists in the efficient decomposition of carrion. The White-backed vulture is medium in size (94cm) in comparison to its counterparts and a brown to cream colour in its adult form, with juveniles darker." Read the complete description: www.wildlifeact.com/about-wildlife-act/wildlife-species/vultures/white-backed-vulture-gyps-africanus
BATELEUR
Terathopius ecaudatus
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Adam
" [The] Bateleur [is a] small eagle of Africa and Arabia, belonging to the subfamily Circaetinae (serpent eagles) of the family Accipitridae. The name bateleur (French: “tumbler”) comes from the birds’ distinctive aerial acrobatics... One of the most familiar birds of the African skies, it is almost constantly on the wing. Often it turns somersaults in the air, claps its wings loudly, utters cawing or barking cries, and dives with a screaming sound. It hunts open country for small mammals, reptiles, eggs, grasshoppers, and carrion. It seems to favour snakes." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/bateleur
GREY CROWNED CRANE
Balearica regulorum
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 17,700-22,300 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Tilly and Jessica
"A spectacular, mostly blue-gray crane with a black-and-white face and a crown of golden-yellow plumes. Immatures are rustier than adults. Singles, pairs, and flocks prefer wetlands, flooded grasslands, and man-made water bodies, but they can range widely through other open habitats when foraging. Resident but may be locally nomadic in response to rain. Groups can often be detected by their low plaintive bugling “maaah-hem” call. The similar Black Crowned-Crane differs in having slaty-gray coloration, smaller red facial wattles, and red-and-white (rather than white) cheek patches." Read the complete description: ebird.org/species/grccra1
GREY PARROT (UGANDA)
Psittacus erithacus
Conservation Status: ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: David and Joe
"Native to the forests of central Africa, this species is the largest parrot found anywhere in the continent. Grey Parrots have silver feathers, a white mask and a bright, reddish tail. They are also extremely clever and known for their impressive mimic of human speech – which has also unfortunately made them one of the most popular pet birds in the world. Research has shown that they also possess cognitive skills equal to that of a five-year-old child and will help members of their species without expecting anything in return... From 1982 to 2014, over 1.3 million wild-caught individuals entered international pet trade, with over hundreds of thousands of others dying in transit or poached illegally from the forests of West and Central Africa. Grey Parrots are particularly vulnerable to trappings because they concentrate in traditional nesting, roosting and drinking sites, while their gregarious and social nature also makes them relatively easy to catch." Read the complete description: www.worldlandtrust.org/species/birds/grey-parrot
NYASA LOVEBIRD (ZAMBIA)
Agapornis lilianae
Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 6,000-15,000 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: David and Joe
"[The Nyasa Lovebird is also known as Lillian's Lovebird] A gregarious small green parrot with a red bill, white eye-ring and orange-red face. Immature has a duller bill and eye-ring. Pairs and small and large flocks inhabit tall broadleaf Mopane and thorn tree woodland, where they can be locally common. Gives a variety of chittering and screechy chatters, drawing attention to their presence. The similar Black-cheeked Lovebird is localized and endemic to southwest Zambia; it differs from Lilian’s Lovebird by its chocolate brown face." Read the complete description: ebird.org/species/lillov1
MARABOU
Leptoptilos crumenifer
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Grace A., Leo and Daniel
"This huge, macabre-looking stork has a massive dagger-like bill and naked pink head and neck that appear severely sunburned. A white ruff and loose inflatable skin on the neck add to its odd appearance. It soars effortlessly at great heights searching for food; note its white belly in flight. Marabous are equally content in wetlands or in dry bush; they are most frequently encountered lurking near carrion, as they attend kills of major predators and will opportunistically snatch scraps. They also readily scavenge around humans and waste dumps." Read the complete description: ebird.org/species/marsto1
REPTILES
SLENDER-SNOUTED CROCODILE (ZAMBIA)
Mecistops cataphractus
Conservation Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List)
Population: 1,000-20,000 population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Wilhelmina, James and Emily
Animal Diversity/Slender-snouted Crocodile:
"Slender-snouted crocodiles are primarily found in tropical rainforests along the shores of shallow rivers and larger bodies of water, but also in lightly covered savanna woodlands. They are most frequently found in freshwater environments and occasionally in brackish waters of coastal lagoons. When these crocodiles leave the water they tend to stay in sheltered or protected areas to avoid predation. In the water they usually swim just below the surface." Read the complete description: animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mecistops_cataphractus
AFRICAN DWARF CROCODILE (UGANDA)
Osteolaemus tetraspis
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNSPECIFIED
Drawing: Xavier, Jonson and Lewis
This noctural crocodile is the smallest crocodile species on Earth.
RHINOCEROS VIPER (UGANDA)
Bitis nasicornis
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawings: Lee-J, Darcie, Erin and Duncan
"[The] Rhinoceros viper [is a] brightly coloured venomous snake of the family Viperidae that inhabits rainforests and swamps of West and Central Africa. It prefers wet or damp environments and can even be found on plantations. The body is massive with rough and strongly keeled scales. It possesses a green or blue triangular head with a large black arrowhead mark on the top and two or three pairs of hornlike scales on the tip of the snout. It averages 70–90 cm (28–35 inches) in length, but specimens as long as 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) are known. The body is made up of a spectacular velvetlike pattern of triangles, rectangles, and diamond-shaped areas that are coloured red, yellow, blue, green, and black. The pattern is reminiscent of that of the Gaboon viper; however, the pattern of the rhinoceros viper is more colourful." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/rhinoceros-viper
GABOON VIPER
Bitis gabonica
Conservation Status: VULNERABLE (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend DECREASING
Drawing: Elise and Cole
"[The] Gaboon viper [is] extremely venomous but usually docile ground-dwelling snake found in tropical forests of central and western Africa. It is the heaviest venomous snake in Africa, weighing 8 kg (18 pounds), and it grows to a length of 2 metres (about 7 feet). The Gaboon viper also possesses the longest fangs of any snake, measuring up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) long. The stout body is boldly patterned with rectangles and triangles of buff, purple, and brown, which gives the snake its velvetlike appearance. This pattern provides excellent camouflage and allows this sluggish viper (family Viperidae) to become nearly invisible among leaves and roots of the forest floor." Read the complete description: www.britannica.com/animal/Gaboon-viper
JOHNSTON'S THREE-HORNED CHAMELEON (UGANDA)
Trioceros johnstoni
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNKNOWN
Drawings: Jacob, Alfie and Maxwell
Chamelions are a species of lizard. The Johnston's three horned chamelion inhabits central Africa.
KENYAN HIGH-CASQUED CHAMELEON (UGANDA)
Trioceros hoehnelii
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend STABLE
Drawings: Joshua and Western
Kenyan high-casqued chameleon's reach 10inches in length. Males 'display brightly coloured patterns'.
LEOPARD TORTOISE
Stigmochelys pardalis
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend UNKNOWN
Drawings: Farah, Julen and Summer
Animal Diversity/Leopard Tortoise:
"Leopard tortoises are endemic to Africa, and their geographic range extends from Sudan to Ethiopia and from Natal in eastern Africa to southern Angola and South Africa. They are also diffusely distributed throughout portion of southwestern Africa... Leopard tortoises are the fourth largest tortoise species in the world." Read the complete description: animaldiversity.org/accounts/Psammobates_pardalis
AMPHIBIANS
AFRICAN GROOVE-CROWNED FROG
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis
Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN (IUCN Red List)
Population: population trend STABLE
Drawing: William, India and Grace M.
IUCN Red List/African Groove-Crowned Frog:
"[The African groove-crowned frog] lives in many habitats from dry savannahs to disturbed forest, using logging roads and rivers to penetrate deep into lowland forest. It is invasive into forested areas where forests have been disturbed." Read the complete description: www.iucnredlist.org/species/58299/18361413
INVERTEBRATES
DEVIL’S FLOWER MANTIS
Idolomantis diabolica
Conservation Status: UNLISTED (IUCN)
Population: UNKNOWN
Drawings: Noah and Mrs Trotter
The devil's flower mantis is a large mantis that mimics flowers.
DERBY’S FLOWER BEETLE
Dicronorhina derbyana
Conservation Status: UNLISTED (IUCN)
Population: UNKNOWN
Drawing: Roman
This beautiful beetle reaches up to 2 inches in length.
FLAMBOYANT FLOWER BEETLE
Eudicella gralli
Conservation Status: UNLISTED (IUCN)
Population: UNKNOWN
Drawings: Maxwell, Celine and Mia
A species of scarab beetle the flamboyant flower beetle inhabits the rainforests of Africa.
THANK YOU
DftP would like to thank Global First Responder and their volunteers, participating Zambian and Ugandan children, and communities, Harton Primary School children, and agoodcompany for supporting our projects.
ABOUT DRAWING FOR THE PLANET
We are a global art and environmental education charity with drawing, one of the oldest forms of communication, at its core. Founded by artist Jane Lee McCracken, to share her passions for drawing and wildlife, we partner with international wildlife charity Born Free, conservationists, artists, educators and cultural institutions. Through our art, education, exhibition and conservation fundraising projects we give children, communities and wildlife a voice. Watch our video and visit us at: www.drawingfortheplanet.org
facebook.com/DrawingforthePlanet
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twitter.com/DrawingftPlanet
Support our global projects, help protect wildlife and give the gift of art and wildlife by donating or becoming a member here:
drawingfortheplanet.org/pages/donate
drawingfortheplanet.org/pages/membership
ABOUT JANE LEE MCCRACKEN
Shh it's a Tiger! 2013 Biro drawing © Jane Lee McCracken
Jane Lee McCracken constructs intricate, multi-layered Biro drawings, sculptures, installations as well as product designs. Her work represents the beauty of life and its brutal realities, exploring the loss to both humans and animals caused by human destructiveness. She is the founder and CEO of Drawing for the Planet global art, environmental education and conservation charity.
Over the last decade, she has raised funds for conservation organisations through her art and delivered drawing and environmental education workshops to thousands of people across the world. In 2019 she founded the Where Did All the Animals Go? project in partnership with Born Free and in 2021 Drawing for the Planet. Explore Jane's art:
ABOUT GLOBAL FIRST RESPONDER
“Global First Responder is a nonprofit conducting relief trips worldwide. We focus on healthcare delivery, health education, community development projects, and disaster relief. We welcome volunteers of all skill-sets. More than just medical professionals, our teams are composed of individuals from all walks of life. GFR has worked in a large number of developing countries to provide sustainable infrastructure and healthcare solutions. To date, Global First Responder has worked in 14 countries around the world in cooperation with multiple non-government relief organizations.”
ABOUT AGOOD COMPANY
"We are picking a fight with everyday stuff that’s harming our planet. Replacing plastic with plants. Localizing our supply chain. Re-using natural materials which would otherwise go to waste. We refuse to take shortcuts, and we obsess over every single step in the journey of our products, from how they are made to how they end up on your doorstep. We always walk the extra mile to improve our products and our processes, to ensure that we always areas responsible as we humanly can be. To production materials that have the least environmental impact, no matter the cost. In the choice between different courses of action, we will always take the route that makes our company and our products better and more responsible. We think the traditional way of running a company — with a big office that no one else can use, a fancy reception, stale conference rooms, and faceless art — is out of date. Circularity can only happen with design." Visit: www.agood.com