The world of animation is rich with diverse characters, and African animals hold a special place in many beloved cartoons. From majestic lions to cunning leopards and playful primates, these characters bring the vibrant landscapes and wildlife of Africa to life on screen.
Here is a compilation of notable feline characters and other animals that appear in various animated works of fiction:
Big Cats
- Leopards and Cheetahs:
- Cheetah: Represents Honesty.
- Black Leopard: A clever, serious, and responsible character, similar to Bagheera.
- African Leopard: Tracks Ajabu an Okapi to the Pride Lands. Another is a victim of Mapigano.
- Alex's Mother: From Madagascar.
- Diego's Mate: A member of Captain Gutt's pirate crew.
- Benjamin Clawhauser: The Zootopia Police Department's most charming cheetah.
A Cheetah in the wild.
- Lions:
- Kimba (Leo): The title character of Osamu Tezuka's manga/anime, Kimba the White Lion.
- Mufasa: Simba's father and the first Lion King of Pride Rock.
- Scar: Mufasa's brother, jealous of Simba's position.
- Simba: The title character of The Lion King, son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, husband of Nala, and father of Kiara and Kion.
- Kiara: Zira's son, Scar's chosen heir, and Kiara's mate.
- Lion (Steven Universe): A pink lion with a lush pink mane that helps Steven cross dimensions.
- Parsley: A simple, friendly lion who sings, "I'm a very friendly lion called Parsley".
- Samson: The protagonist of the film who tells his son, Ryan, about Samson the wild.
- Ryan: Samson's son who tries to roar just like his dad.
A Lion in the wild.
Other African Animals
- Aardvark
- Chimpanzee
- East African Crowned Crane
- Gazelle
- Gorilla
- Hyena
- Lemur
- Mandrill
- Meerkat
- Ostrich
- Porcupine
- Warthog
These animals are often depicted in various poses, such as standing naturally, giving a thumbs up, dancing, holding a pencil, holding a sign, holding a banner, painting at an easel, and pointing.
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Here's a table summarizing the sizes of some of Africa's most famous animals:
| Animal | Male Size | Female Size |
|---|---|---|
| African Elephant | Up to 3.4 m tall, over 6 tonnes | Up to 2.6 m tall |
| Gorilla | Up to 195 kg | Up to 113 kg |
| Nile Crocodile | Up to 5 meters long | - |
| Ostrich | Up to 2.8 m tall | Up to 2 m tall |
It is no surprise that there is a lack of true positive African voices in the world of children's media. What can children watch, read, or play with to learn more about the wonderful continent in a positive genuine way? Not as some afterthought. The key words being 'genuine', 'educational', 'entertaining', and 'representative'. I'm not talking about Madagascar or Lion King here. Nothing against Disney, but those movies (or similar) are not what I'm referring to here as they don't really represent Africa in any real way beyond just being set there. I am looking more for cartoons that have real Africans (humans) characters.
Here is a list of animation clips, series, and movies that fit that criteria in my humble opinion. Some are 100% African owned and funded, others are done in partnership with global partners, whilst the remainder are 100% non-African owned or funded.
- Ubongo Kids is an exciting animated edutainment TV series, watched by over 1.4 million viewers in Tanzania and available in over a million more households across East Africa. Animated characters Kibena, Kiduchu, Koba, and Baraka go on adventures each episode, using their wits and knowledge of math to solve mysteries and problems in their community.
- Abeba and Abebe is the first ever animated series to be made in Ethiopia by and for Ethiopians.
- MFALME, a young forest boy, is kidnapped and brought to a strange palace in a place called Airegin, with the claim that he is the blood son of the dying King Obankosi and the chosen successor to the throne. Not just that, he is given a mandatory assignment which he has to fulfill before he can either accept or reject their offer.
- Adama is a 2015 French animated drama film directed by Simon Rouby.
- E.X.O. - The Legend of Wale Williams Part One is a superhero story about redemption set in a futuristic 2025 Africa!
- Bilal: A New Breed of Hero: A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change.
- The Princess of Africa: A fearless princess loses her kingdom and then embarks on a quest to reclaim the throne.
- "Bouba & Zaza" is a children's books collection initiated by UNESCO Dakar and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). The aim is to develop quality teaching materials adapted to an African context. The books are now being adapted to short educational films.
- Akili and Me is a new edutainment series from Ubongo Media, creators of Ubongo Kids. Kids 3-6 year olds will love joining Akili on her magical adventures in Lala Land, where they’ll learn numbers, letters, drawing and English.
The internet has and will continue to change and democratise that. Sometimes we (I am also guilty of this) wait until we see something on a big TV network like Nickelodeon before we believe a show is worth watching. Not anymore.
An African Penguin at Boulders Beach.
Read also: Representation in Cartoon Shows
Some of the most famous animals in the world are found in Africa. In Africa, the five animals tourists want to see the most on safari are called the Big Five. The phrase 'Big Five' was originally made by hunters as these animals are the hardest to hunt on foot.
Adventures in Babysitting | Jungle Beat: Munki and Trunk | Kids Animation 2022
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