The search for the 5 Cutest animals is still on!
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!
If you missed the first five nominees, check out Adventure Consults Cute Five and give us your views .
A big Thank to all those who sent through feedback to the first list of Cute-five candidates! We received amazing responses. One of our lovely clients suggested that the famous shoebill stork stands a high chance of being one of the cute-five. We however thought its only fair that the shoebill will come in the Bird contest later in the year. But she thinks that the shoebill is more of a dinosaur, so qualifies to be an animal…hahahah.
Here we share the second list of 5 nominees as selected by our friends, clients and colleagues.
Once again, Adventure Consults team would like to have your thoughts and votes on the 5 cutest animals. Once nominations are done, we will then cast the vote and get to know who the cute5 are. It’s fun, yeah?
The ‘candidates’ to be shared will be randomly picked from your nominations, so please share the favorites by email (sales@adventureconsults.com), or can share images for the rest of the world to see via social media platforms below;
Rules are simple!
- The well-known Big five don’t qualify for nomination.
- We love domestic animals, but they don’t qualify for this contest.
- Nominees must be animals that can be or have been sighted either in Uganda, Rwanda or both.
Black and white colobus monkey.
The long-tailed tree-dwelling beauties are generally gregarious.
They derive their name colobus from a Greek word meaning mutilated because unlike other monkeys, the colobus do not have thumbs.
These chatty monkeys have got a long beautiful veil of white hair along each flank and a long white brush on the tail. The colobus’ beautiful black and white coloring makes it very outstanding, and no doubt gives it a chance to be one of the top 5 cute animals.
At one time, the black and white colobus monkey was hunted excessively for its beautiful fur. Its skin has been used to make dance costumes, hats and capes.
While on trip to Uganda/Rwanda, you are assured of seeing the black and white colobus monkeys jumping or hanging up in the huge old trees. The tropical forests of Kibale Forest National park in Uganda or Nyungwe in Rwanda, are not only home to the endangered Chimpanzees, but also home to troops of the photogenic Black and white colobus monkeys.
Common dwarf mongoose.
The less known cuties can be easily found in dry grassland, open forests, bushland and sometimes in the surroundings of settlements. They are the smallest African carnivores with large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs, and long claws. Their soft fur is very variable in color, ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown.
Very sharp eyes that will leave you speechless. No doubt, these unique features makes the dwarf mongoose one of the potential top cute five.
Dwarf mongooses are diurnal. They begin and end each day sunbathing and socializing with the pack at their burrows. Adventure consults’ clients have been lucky with these beautiful creatures while on morning game drives in Lake Mburo National park.
The Caracal
A caracal’s black, tufted ears give it a look different from most cats in the wild. This little cat can leap into the air making it an excellent hunter. The name caracal comes from a Turkish word, karakulak. Karakulak for black ear.
The tail of a caracal is about 8 to 13 inches long. This is about the same length of the school ruler your class teacher used to move with.
The rare caracal has got a sleek coat of reddish gold short hair and a line of white fur around each of its eyes. This cat’s ears stand straight up and are topped off by long black tufts of hair.
In Uganda, Caracals have been sighted at Kidepo Valley National Park and there’s also one at Uganda Wildlife Education Center. The small pretty cats are highly secretive and difficult to find. They are territorial and in most cases, lives alone or in pairs.
The Otters
Just like pre-school infants, Otters are extremely playful agile animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment. They love sliding into the water and often look for small stones to roll on. Different species of otters vary in their social structure, some being largely solitary, while others live in groups.
Less known fact about Otters; An otter’s den is called a holt or couch. Male otters are called dogs or boars, females are called bitches or sows, and their offspring are called pups.
The long, sleek bodies with dense, glossy brown fur from head to toe give otters very unique and amazing look. What are the chances that they will qualify for the final contest of the Cute-five?
All three African otters are found in Uganda and Rwanda. These among others include spotted-necked otter, the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the swamp otter or Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congica). Uganda and Rwanda are blessed with wetlands and marshes which are otters’ natural habitats.
The Bush-baby.
Meet the night ‘babies’ who spend all their days sleeping and look for food only at night. The beautiful Bush Babies are named after their childlike wailing cry they use to demarcate territory and communicate with their family members.
One interesting fact about Bush babies is that they have enormous forward-facing eyes so large in relation to its head that they cannot move them in their sockets. If they want to shift their gaze they have to turn their whole head. Consequently, they can look directly backwards over their shoulders.
The bush babies qualified for the Cute-five nominations because of their Gray, brown, or reddish to yellowish brown soft, woolly fur, with large eyes, ears and long tail.
Bush Babies are found throughout East Africa as well as in the woodlands and bush lands of Sub-Saharan Africa. You however stands a better chance of seeing them while on a night game drive in Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda)
,Akagara National Park (Rwanda) or while on an escorted night nature walk in Kibale Forest National park (Uganda)
Bush Babies often share a nest in a thicket of vegetation or tree hollow, so you need experienced resident/site guides to take you along.
Writing and talking about wildlife is one way of appreciating conservation and certainly help to ensure that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the incredible species that live within it.
We look forward to receiving your votes either by emailing us; sales@adventureconsults.com or via any of the following social media platforms;
About Adventure Consults;
The East African safari based company specializes in designing private safaris “Into the Heart of Africa”. Adventure Consults caters for all travelers’ interests ranging from primate (Gorilla and Chimpanzee) tracking, family trips, Honeymoon, Conferences, alumni groups and Special interest groups (Fishing, Birding, Research and Photography trips).
Adventure Consults’ forte is to share knowledge, love and passion for exceptional destinations (Uganda and Rwanda). Our approach to tourism ensures minimal negative social and environmental impacts.
We focus on generating greater economic and social benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of host communities.