Nature Reach
Lion
Panthera leo
A lion resting under a tree gives us one glimpse of its day. Later, as daylight fades, the pride may become much more active.
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Meet the neighbours in three different habitats
Follow a giraffe towards leafy branches, watch a kingfisher above a pond and discover a sloth among rainforest trees.
These 17 pages introduce a small selection of animals and plants from Nature Reach’s three free maps: savanna, pond and rainforest. Each page brings together reviewed content for families with children aged 5 to 9, scientific sources and recordings of the app’s spoken names and introductions. There are many more species to discover in the app.
Savanna
Explore the grasslands, trees and rivers that provide food and shelter on the African savanna.
Explore the savanna
Zebra
Equus quagga
A zebra's coat is covered in stripes, but the pattern is its own. Look beyond the stripes to discover a life spent grazing and moving with other zebras.
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Umbrella thorn acacia
Vachellia spp.
Its spreading crown makes a patch of shade on a sunny plain. For animals, this tree can offer somewhere to rest or something to eat.
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Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
A warthog may lower itself onto its front legs while feeding. A nearby burrow gives this busy forager somewhere to shelter.
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Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
A herd may pause to graze, then move on as food changes with the seasons. In the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, this journey links many parts of the landscape.
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White-backed vulture
Gyps africanus
A vulture circling overhead is searching for food on the ground. Its meal comes from an animal that has already died.
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Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Notice the impala's curved horns and light-footed movements. Only males have those horns.
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Giraffe
Giraffa spp.
A giraffe stretches towards a leafy branch. Its neck brings the food within reach, and a long, flexible tongue helps gather the leaves.
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Elephant
Loxodonta africana
An elephant can curl its trunk around a branch or lift water towards its mouth. The same flexible trunk is also its nose.
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Hippo
Hippopotamus amphibius
A pair of eyes, small ears and nostrils may be all you can see above the water. Much of the hippo’s body is resting beneath the surface.
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Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
A cheetah’s chase can begin with a careful approach. Then its long legs carry it across the grass in a sudden burst of speed.
Meet this speciesPond
Discover how pond water, plants and damp banks support life above and below the surface.
Explore the pond
Frog
Rana temporaria
A frog can leap from a damp bank into the water. Earlier in its life, it looked very different: a swimming tadpole with a tail.
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Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
A kingfisher waits on a perch above the water. When it spots a small fish, that quiet pause can turn into a sudden dive.
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Dragonfly
Anisoptera
The dragonfly above the pond once hunted beneath the surface. Its flying life is only one part of a story that begins in water.
Meet this speciesRainforest
Explore life among the branches, forest floor and waterways of the Amazon rainforest.
Explore the rainforest
Sloth
Bradypus spp.
A sloth hangs beneath a branch, then reaches slowly towards the next one. The treetops provide both its leafy meals and much of its living space.
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Capybara
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
A capybara grazes on the bank, then steps into the water. Food on land and a place to swim are both important parts of its home.
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Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
A toucan reaches towards a fruit with its large bill. After the meal, some of the fruit’s seeds can travel with the bird to another part of the forest.
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