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Luxe Adventure Traveler

Adventure Travel With a Glass of Wine

13 of the Cutest Baby Animals to See on Safari

By Jennifer Dombrowski 44 Comments

The Serengeti is a safari destination that is a magnificent experience any time of the year, but it’s in February when nearly all of the animals have babies. Between the Great Migration on the Serengeti Plains and all the adorable babies, a luxury safari in Tanzania with SkySafari by Elewana is a bucket list trip that will definitely top the list of best trips you’ve ever been on. We’ve seen things on safari that put the circle of life into perspective like hyenas hunting wildebeest, lions feasting on their morning kill and an elephant that died from a wound likely inflicted by poachers. While those things are a sad reality, we’ve also seen the cutest baby animals that just absolutely melt your heart. There are 13 of the cutest baby animals to see on safari:

1. Lion cubs

Lionesses will give birth to a litter of one – four cubs and we were lucky to find this litter of four (though you can only spot three in the photo).

2. Elephant calf

Elephants only get pregnant once about every five years and the gestation period is 22 months. Elephant calves are quite small! Our guides estimated this cutie was around eight or nine months old.

3. Giraffe calf

Giraffe calves are born already around six feet tall! Though after seeing full grown giraffes, it’s pretty easy to spot a youngster even when they’re on their own. Sadly, we learned that giraffes aren’t very good parents and will leave their babies own their own while traveling several kilometers away.

4. Baboon infant

Baboon infants hang on to their mother’s stomach for the first month and then at five or six weeks old, start riding on their mother’s back. This cute little fella (boy parts definitely indicated he was a fella) was less than a month old! We were lucky to spot him playing very close to the road, though he scampered over to hold on to mom as soon as we stopped.

5. Wildebeest calf

Wildebeest calves can stand within just a few minutes of being born and can run with the herd within an hour after birth. We saw a few young calves as the Great Migration moved from the Serengeti Plains south to Ngorongoro Crater, where the wildebeest will birth their calves in the short grass plains.

6. Cape buffalo calf

Cape buffalo calves are completely dependent on their mothers for their first year. The females will stay with and join the natural herd. We saw mostly male herds, but did spot some calves in a female herd we came across.

7. Hippo calf

Hippo calves are born in the water and can hold their breath for nearly three times as long as an adult hippo. Hippos spend around 16 hours each day in the water, so babies are a little hard to spot. We got lucky to spot a baby out of the water at Ngorongoro Crater.

8. Warthog piglet

Warthog moms only have four teats and piglets each suckle from their “own”. No sharing! When warthogs run, their tail sticks straight up and the piglets run in a line behind mom. Though I hope they weren’t running from a predator, they are too cute in running mode.

9. Zebra foal

Zebra foals are actually born brown and white and with a thicker coat. They look fuzzy, which makes them all the more adorable. Like wildebeest, zebras have their babies just before the long rains begin in February. We saw quite a few baby zebras at Ngorongoro Crater.

10. Thompson gazelle fawn

Thompson gazelles are really small with an adult standing at only around 2 – 3 feet tall. Females move away from the herd to birth a single fawn and the fawn will spend most of its time resting and hiding in the grass. It’s not very common to spot a fawn, so we were particularly lucky to see this little fawn with its mom on the short grass plains at Ngorongoro Crater during the Great Migration.

Hyrax live in families of up to 50 and are sort of look like a rabbit without long ears and cotton tails that can climb. The babies all snuggle up with mom when they nap and we were quite amused watching the resident hyrax families at Serengeti Migration Camp.

12. Crocodile hatchling

Crocodiles lay around 50 eggs and bury them in the sand on the riverbank. Of the 50 eggs, only one or two hatchlings actually survive. This little guy was sunning himself right next to mom in the Serengeti.

13. Monkey infant

Like baboons, monkey infants clutch their arms around mom and hitch a ride on their belly. Because the mom and dad are so protective of their youngsters, baby monkeys can be hard to spot. Like all kids, they like to play and you might spot them chasing each other around. As soon as the parents spot you watching though, they grab up their babies and hold on to them protectively.

Loved this post? We love when you share our content! ~ Jen & Tim

About Jennifer Dombrowski

Jennifer Dombrowski is an independent travel publisher and an American expat who has lived in Bordeaux, France since 2016. She previously lived in Northern Italy in a small village near Venice for seven years where she fell in love with wine and wine tourism. She is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and TripAdvisor, and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed, and Business Insider. Jennifer's photography has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.

February 25, 2014 at 1:38 PM

Wow, amazing photos! Sounds like you both got lucky in catching sight of some of those li’l guys and gals. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for your next few posts 😉

Jennifer Dombrowski says

February 27, 2014 at 11:19 AM

Though it was going into the long rains when we were there, we had pretty good weather and it was the perfect time of the year to see the babies. So cute to watch!

Lauren Bassart says

February 25, 2014 at 3:22 PM

This was just about the cutest post ever!!! Love all the babies. So jealous of you guys 🙂

February 27, 2014 at 11:20 AM

Thanks Lauren! At first we were just shooting the babies, but then we specifically started trying to capture a mom and wee one. Just so much cuteness!

February 25, 2014 at 3:57 PM

After getting hit with one Polar Vortex after another in the U.S, it’s nice to see signs of Spring with all the young animals being born. Nice photos.

February 27, 2014 at 11:21 AM

Even though we were just a few degrees below the Equator, it was definitely a different season there in Tanzania! Kind of disappointing to come back home to the winter rain in Italy after getting a taste of “Spring”.

Shikha (whywasteannualleave) says

February 25, 2014 at 4:42 PM

When I went on safari in Selous Tanzania for honeymoon, the lion cubs were playing hide and seek so I’d love to try and catch them next time – I absolutely loved baby hippos though – so cute!

February 27, 2014 at 11:23 AM

What a fantastic place to go on honeymoon Shikha! Lions don’t have a specific time of the year that they breed, so you have a pretty good chance of seeing lion cubs any time of the year. Hope you spot some on your next safari!

February 25, 2014 at 4:45 PM

Even the baby croc is cute!

February 27, 2014 at 11:25 AM

I still wouldn’t mess with even the baby croc. We’ve got a close up and it already has some lethal looking teeth.

Adam Evans says

February 25, 2014 at 5:34 PM

I love the zebra and foal. Interesting to see the foal has a kind of ginger hue!

February 27, 2014 at 11:27 AM

We were surprised that baby zebras are so brown too. Very cute. The coat almost looks like a thick fuzz or velvet.

Katherine Belarmino says

February 25, 2014 at 7:22 PM

That giraffe baby is ridiculous!!

February 27, 2014 at 11:29 AM

Isn’t it so cute? It’s parents were no where around. I can only hope it survives on its own.

February 26, 2014 at 12:24 AM

Wow, that’s impressive you did get all the big ones and small ones to…what a fun trip, must have taken lots of great images to share!

We averaged anywhere from 600 – 1000 photos each day. I think I could post a safari photo a day for the next year!

Kate Blake says

February 26, 2014 at 1:20 AM

Amazing pics! I love the baby hippo

February 27, 2014 at 11:32 AM

The hippos were so funny! They make the best noises that just make you smile.

Lauren says

February 26, 2014 at 1:29 AM

Those are so cute! The babies look like miniature versions of the adult ones. I really like the zebra and the lion cubs, although they are all very adorable 🙂 Your photos are very impressive!

February 27, 2014 at 11:35 AM

Thanks Lauren! The babies are just so adorable to see and I loved watching them interact with their moms.

Alouise says

February 26, 2014 at 1:35 AM

This post if full of some serious awww. I love the one of the baby elephant.

February 27, 2014 at 11:38 AM

That baby elephant had to be the happiest elephant I’ve ever seen! Elephants were definitely a favorite to watch, especially when they play in water holes. We’ll have a post coming on a herd having some serious fun in a water hole.

jenny@atasteoftravel says

February 26, 2014 at 2:30 AM

So cute! You were definitely there at the right time for the babies. Can’t wait to read about your adventures!

February 27, 2014 at 11:39 AM

Yes Jenny! I was a little disappointed that we never got the a blazing fiery African sunset, but it’s hard to be too disappointed when we got to see all these wee ones.

Heather says

February 26, 2014 at 4:15 AM

What a treat! Even the baby crocodile is cute!

February 27, 2014 at 11:42 AM

The babies are just too cute to watch! Even the baboon baby melted my heart. I had a bad experience with baboons at the zoo when I was a kid, so don’t really like them.

February 26, 2014 at 8:43 PM

ohhhh yes, they’re really cute 🙂 I’m happy you had such a great time!

February 27, 2014 at 11:43 AM

Definitely one of our favorite trips we’ve been on Stef!

Angela Travels says

February 27, 2014 at 12:00 AM

Love the photos. I really want to go on an African Safari photo tour!

February 27, 2014 at 10:40 PM

You will love going on safari Angela! We’re barely home from this safari and now I am absolutely dying to go to Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia!

Samantha @mytanfeet says

February 27, 2014 at 3:51 AM

the baby zebra is adorable!! I had no idea they were born fuzzy and born, every animal is so cute when miniature size, even the crocodile. Great pics!

February 27, 2014 at 10:45 PM

Thanks Samantha! Yes the wee ones are just too adorable. I think even a baby hyena might be cute.

February 27, 2014 at 4:40 AM

Oh Mahh gahhd. All of them. Yes please. Can’t wait to do a safari. Not on this RTW trip but the next for sure. Thanks for sharing.

You will love it when you do go on safari, Shaun! This was one of our all time favorite trips.

February 27, 2014 at 3:50 PM

Awwwwm this post is the perfect thing for a Thursday afternoon… or for any afternoon 🙂

February 27, 2014 at 10:46 PM

Hard to feel blue with so much cuteness to look at here!

February 28, 2014 at 9:57 AM

The Zebra, the giraffe! I had to come back and have a look this morning!

February 27, 2014 at 5:51 PM

Nice pics – never heard of a Hyrax! Interesting looking animal. Frank (bbqboy)

February 27, 2014 at 10:48 PM

We’d never heard of one until about two weeks ago either, Frank. They’re pretty cute!

Devlin @ Marginal Boundaries says

February 28, 2014 at 8:43 PM

Those Hyrax are deviously cute, they just look like they’re up to no good, hatching some plan to steal your treats.

March 1, 2014 at 2:59 PM

LOL! We had a family of them that just loved to sun themselves on the wooden platform surrounding our tent.

Cheryl Howard says

March 3, 2014 at 12:14 AM

Awww, each and every photo is so so cute! 🙂

March 5, 2014 at 8:04 AM

Oh how I would love to go on safari! It would be even better to get to see all these baby animals. They’re all so cute, especially the Hyrax!

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I Brought My Baby on an African Safari — Here's What I Learned on the Adventure of a Lifetime

It turns out a 10-month-old baby makes an incredible companion on a safari in South Africa — if only for the reminder to slow down and savor the wild moments.

When I imagined our first family safari , our 10-month-old daughter in tow, I never pictured releasing her onto the wild red Kalahari Desert sand to join a mob of 15 meerkats. (And yes, that's the proper term.) But there we were, watching Indah crawl curiously toward a trio of the diminutive mammals, reaching out her chubby hand in a choppy wave as they stared, frozen in myriad meerkat poses — one standing, leaned back on its kickstand-like tail, another crouched. With a longtime researcher overseeing the adorable interaction, she was so excited and they, too, were interested. This was the first human baby the clan had ever seen. We know this for a fact since they're habituated in Tswalu, a 111,000-hectare private reserve with a maximum of 28 guests.

I thought our guide, OB Medupe, was joking when he first mentioned we sit Indah amid all these funny little not-quite-foot-tall creatures. But he delivered, on that and so many more stunning moments while we lived our best lives at Tswalu, The Motse in January, followed by Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge — both in South Africa, a place with a seemingly universal love for babies. The adventure was planned in flawless detail by Extraordinary Journeys ' CEO, Elizabeth Gordon , and her team — several of them moms — using their encyclopedic knowledge of the most kid-friendly (not to mention low-malaria-risk) safari destinations on the African continent.

Before I continue, I'm aware that taking an infant on safari sounds out there. My past exploits were always hyper focused on wildlife photography, but I was eager to be more present and soak up the bush through fresh eyes. My husband, Keith, and I are adventurous travelers and wildlife lovers, and we want to expose our daughter, Indah, to the world early, layering in typical baby experiences with extraordinary ones, too. We feel it's important for her to hear other languages and accents, and be loved by others who are not her family. She won't remember waving at giraffes and jabbering at elephants, having her diaper changed 20 feet from a leopard, or eating biltong in the bush during sundowners, but I'm confident those experiences will wiggle into her subconscious and positively affect her world view and sense of connection.

In contrast to her small COVID bubble at home, Indah's safari sphere was infinite. The magic began the moment we touched down in Tswalu's sleek eight-seat aircraft and stepped into The Nest, living architecture where hundreds of sociable weaver birds flitted between their homes woven into the thatched roof. (The Fireblade Aviation hangar in Johannesburg was a lovely prelude, with a large kids' playroom, snacks, and wine.) They captivated our baby birder, her eyes dancing trying to follow them. We hopped into a Land Cruiser with OB and our tracker, Piet, who laughed when I joked that Indah had been waiting her whole life for this. "Her whole 10 months," cracked Keith. And with that, our safari — a Swahili word meaning journey — began, filled with rare species signature to the Kalahari Desert.

There, amid iconic orange sand with painterly layers of green, pink, and blue adding depth to the landscapes, we saw pygmy antelopes called steenbok, a slick black sable running like a mythical creature, and cheetah brothers, fur wet from the morning dew, walking coolly and sniffing around before stretching out on their backs in typical cat style. Our first giraffe sighting made a major impact, and Indah waved maniacally, pointed, and talked up a storm. These giant animals full of grace seemed to notice our tiny Dr. Dolittle, who spoke to them exuberantly.

The nickname stuck at Sabi Sabi, where our soft-spoken yet knowledgeable guide, Andries Ndlovu, responded to Indah's evocative chatter aimed at a sea of impalas with, "Who knows, they might understand you!" As a soon-to-be first-time dad, he loved her enthusiasm. But Indah's spirited full-body communication made us nervous at times, too, like while watching a thick-maned male lion nurse a fresh forehead wound. Andries knew from experience that this cat had no interest in us, but my heart nearly jumped out of my chest when he sat up just as Indah started voicing her hangry cues. I quickly begin nursing her as he walked past, a few nail-biting feet away. In contrast, I didn't worry at all when we rolled up on a maternal lioness that Andries called "a tough cookie" as she dozed in a sandy riverbed with her two girls.

Be prepared for your child to occasionally scare off wildlife, like when Indah's excited yelp frightened a beautiful cheetah before I could lift my camera. Overwhelmingly, however, she seemed to have little impact on the wild, though she made an impression on visitors surprised to spot a human baby. Animal babies weren't a rarity, though, like when we saw an elephant family of mamas, daughters, aunties, and sisters, the little ones running playfully and adults using their trunks to bathe in sand that looked like shimmering gold in the morning sun. I'd typically be all over that moment with my telephoto lens, but Indah was still waking up and I happily tended to her. A bonus? I got to take the magnificent parade in with my eyes instead of through a camera.

Our protective instincts flared up again amid an idyllic scene of dazzling zebras, wildebeest, a spectacular saddle-billed stork, and more elephants, including the animal world's version of a six-ton bodybuilder on steroids: a male musth. The strong earthy smell washed over us in the breeze, signaling an aggressive guy who moments later charged, looking positively ginormous beside another vehicle. In the excitement, Indah fell asleep, soothed somehow by the deafening cacophony of birds. She was still out when we met a leopard, legs and tail dangling from a high tree branch — the picture of chill yet amazingly alert with yellow eyes.

A monumental mama white rhino with her precious baby most engaged Indah as they grazed their way closer to us, munching on grass and clearly curious about this outrageously loud yet petite creature gesticulating and calling in a tiny Sabi Sabi safari hat. Rhinoceroses balance bad eyesight with superior smell and hearing, so when Indah did what babies do best, she played right into their senses. Mama, a mere 15 feet from our vehicle, actually jumped, turned, and trotted away. Yes, our child's number two ended this most intimate rhino encounter.

Fortunately, she didn't frighten away Tswalu's full-time baby whisperer (a.k.a. child minder), Sanna, a sweet South African Mary Poppins who Indah immediately hopped to like a lemur. It was a trip to have someone swing by and snag our baby, then return her smiling and clutching a flower or seed pod. On one occasion, when looking for our daughter, I was told, "Indah's in the spa having a treatment and Sanna says she's not done yet." I laughed and headed over to find Indah sitting on Sanna's lap eating a cookie, her feet being lovingly rubbed by a masseuse. Sanna's fun watch enabled Keith and I to get a massage, and also have the culinary adventure of a lifetime at Klein Jan , the surprising restaurant by Michelin-starred South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen. A fellow diner aptly described it as the "James Bond of dining experiences."

At Sabi Sabi, our housekeeper, Busi, doubled as a babysitter. When we returned one night to our stunning suite — a two-bedroom with three bathtubs, including a pair in the glorious glass-encased primary bathroom — at 9 p.m., we were shocked and amused to find a dazed-looking baby tied around Busi's back. It was a hilarious cultural exchange moment for Indah, who'd apparently woken up hours earlier and didn't want to go back to sleep. (The concept of letting a baby fall back asleep unassisted does not seem to translate.)

Gordon had promised these properties would cater well to Indah, and she was spot on. Sabi Sabi has a vibrant, vast kids' camp, dubbed EleFun Centre. Chefs at both camps happily prepared special meals for Indah at the odd times we needed them — say 4 p.m. so she could eat dinner on the road. Our first attempt was somehow smoother than in a high chair, despite bumping along corduroy roads. (Pediatricians recommend babies have good head and neck stability for these rough rides, and sit in a rear-facing car seat.) We also stashed croissants and rusks for a mid-drive snack to keep Indah occupied.

A few more practical tips: Pack lots of layers for multiple seasons in one day. (We'd also sprayed Indah's clothes with permethrin in advance, and none of us got a single mosquito bite.) Give yourselves a few days before starting the safari to adjust to South Africa time. Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Johannesburg — wonderful with baby amenities — makes a lovely first stop for resetting internal clocks and circadian rhythms plus spending relaxed days at the pool and lush grounds.

Above all, be comfortable with flexibility. It's amazing how a little one's enthusiasm for exciting newness can trump exhaustion. Our guides were adaptable to our timing, plus we had a private vehicle. And we alternated nights keeping Indah up later with ones where we put her down early with a sitter so we could have adults-only drives. The first evening, I tried putting her to sleep in the car seat while we spotted wildlife and a nest of sweet just-hatched birds, but she cried so loudly that OB said she sounded like a distressed cob. So, defeated, we stopped for gin and tonics as Indah sat in the tracker seat, jubilant despite her tired red eyes.

Even at 10 months, Indah seemed to come into her own in Africa, as so many adults do. Observing her being as social, trusting, and fearless toward animals, as she was with all the guides, trackers, hosts, servers, and housekeepers, was a pure joy. Her beautiful unbridled energy rubbed off on everyone, especially me — I actually found myself waving to a group of impalas when she wasn't around. "When you stop looking and just enjoy, it's like the animals come to you," Andries said at one point, enjoying our baby-led pace, too. It was a wonderfully chill vibe with less pressure than on previous safaris. I felt connected: to the wildlife, to the landscapes, to Africa, and to Indah, who nursed a ton and took incredible naps, including one for nearly two hours in my arms as we cruised through the Kalahari calmly looking for rhino tracks.

Being outside all day long in fresh air helped lull Indah into slumbers I know had to be filled with the fantastical wildlife we were seeing. And no, she won't recall actually seeing them, but I believe those memories will infiltrate her dreams for a long time to come. Mine, too.