Tanzania: Zanzibar

Paul Carter
First posted 2026 July 14.
Email: paulcarter@pacapix.com

Summary
On an eight-day visit to Zanzibar (Nov 2024) I saw 17 mammal species including three species not yet identified to species level. Highlights were habituated Small-eared Greater Galago at Pongwe; Tanzania Dwarf Galago, Eastern Tree Hyrax and Four-toed Sengi at Kuumbi Cave; and Black-and-rufous Sengi and Zanzibar Red Colobus at various sites.

Contents
A)  Sites and reports
B)  Mammal list
C)  Reptile list
D)  Birds
E)  Logistics
F)  References

Abbreviations and style
Ph – Photographed. NP – Not photographed.
24-hour time is written as “hhmm” e.g. 3:49 PM written as “1549h” or “1549”.

A.  SITES AND REPORTS

  • Jambiani town (31 Oct – 4 Nov 2024): report in progress.
  • Kuumbi Cave (1 – 3 Nov 2024): report in progress.
  • Jozani Forest (2 Nov 2024): report in progress.
  • Pongwe (4-7 Nov 2024): report in progress.
  • Kiwengwa Caves (4-7 Nov 2024): report in progress.
  • Zanzibar City area (7 Nov 2024).

B.  MAMMAL LIST

The species list below include a few taxa only at generic level; these might be revised later,

  1. Eastern Tree Hyrax (Dendrohyrax validus). PH. At Kuumbi Cave area (2/11).
  2. Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi). PH. At (a) Kuumbi Cave area (1/11); (b) Jozani Forest; and (c) Kiwengwa Caves access road (5/11).
  3. Four-toed Sengi (Petrodromus tetradactylus). PH. At Kuumbi Cave area (2/11). Local ssp is Zanzibar Four-toed Sengi (Petrodromus tetradactylus zanzibaricus).
  4. Little Free-tailed Bat (Mops pumilus). NP. Seen leaving a house roost at Mbeweni. AUDIO.
  5. Decken’s Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus deckenii). PH. At Kiwengwa South Cave (4/11 and 5/11).
  6. Horseshoe Bat sp (Rhinolophus sp). PH. A small Rhinolophus at Kiwengwa South Cave (4/11 and 5/11).
  7. Least Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus minor). PH. At Kiwengwa South Cave (4/11 + 5/11). Tentative ID based on Kurrent Technologies (2024) report indicating that there is no other Miniopterus present on Zanzibar. ID OPTIONS: iNat range maps indicate (2024) that Miniopterus africanus is present on Zanzibar and that Natal Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus natalensis) and Least Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus minor) are both shown on nearby mainland; Greater Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus inflatus) is also not in range but known near Mombasa. Other records on iNat are only shown as Miniopterus sp.
  8. Angolan Soft-furred Fruit Bat (Myonycteris angolensis). PH. At Kiwengwa North Cave (5/11).
  9. Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi). PH. At Pongwe Beach (5/11/24 + 6/11/24).
  10. Slit-faced Bat sp (Nycteris sp). PH. At (a) Kuumbi Cave area (2/11); (b) Kiwengwa North Cave (5/11). ID OPTIONS: MDD lists 7 Nycteris sp in Tanzania; iNat (2024) shows the following occur on Zanzibar: Egyptian Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris thebaica), Large Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris grandis), Hairy Slit-faced Bat Nycteris hispida (and others?).
  11. Rat sp (Rattus sp). PH. At Jambiani (2/11-2052h). Rattus rattus or Rattus novegicus?
  12. Zanj Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus undulatus). PH. At Jozani Forest (2/11).
  13. Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus). PH. At Kuumbi Cave (3/11).
  14. Small-eared Greater Galago (Otolemur garnettii). PH. At (a) Jambiani (2/11) and (b) Pongwe (4/11 + 5/11).
  15. Tanzania Dwarf Galago (Paragalago zanzibaricus) AKA “Tanzania Coast Dwarf Galago” (MDD) or Zanzibar Galago” (iNat). NP. At Kuumbi Cave area (3/11).
  16. Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis): ssp Sykes’ Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis albogularis). PH. At (a) Jambiani (1/11); (b) Jozani Forest; (c) Kuumbi Cave.
  17. Zanzibar Red Colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii). PH. At (a) Jozani Forest; (b) Jambiani.

For Bat records shown with AUDIO identification I used an “Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro” ultrasonic module and the Echo Meter app; noting that taxonomy in the app is not always current. I only show audio records where I see the bat and where the size, behaviour and habitat fit the audio ID.

C.  REPTILE LIST

  1. Rough-scaled Plated Lizard (Broadleysaurus major). PH. Kuumbi Cave road and Jozani Forest.
  2. African Striped Skink (Trachylepis striata). PH. Jozani Forest.
  3. Speckle-lipped Mabuya (Trachylepis maculilabris). PH. Jozani Forest.
  4. Painted Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus picturatus). PH. Jambiani and Pongwe.
  5. Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia). PH. Jambiani and Pongwe.
  6. Spotted Green Snake (Philothamnus punctatus). NP. Kiwengwa town area.

D.  BIRD RECORDS

Bird records of note included:
African Wood-Owl (Strix woodfordii). At Kuumbi Cave. There are no prior iNat records for Zanzibar.

E.  LOGISTICS (2024)

I visited Zanzibar with Chi Phan but visited most sites alone. I only used local guides where it was required: Jozani Forest and Kiwengwa Caves.

Visas. As a UK citizenI had to pay $50 for an online visa (single entry) whereas Americans have to pay $100 but get a multi-entry visa. Service is slow; they took 2 weeks to process. Apply for online visas here: https://visa.immigration.go.tz/ as noted here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements.
Health Insurance: All visitors to Zanzibar need to buy local insurance as noted here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements: “With effect from 1 October 2024, all visitors to Zanzibar (excluding residents) must have mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) for the duration of their stay (up to 92 days). You can only buy this insurance from ZIC. Other international travel insurance policies will not be accepted. … Go to the Visit Zanzibar website for more information”. These cost $44 per person.
E-Sim:  Using www.airalo.com I bought a Tanzacomm e-sim plan for 2 GB over 15 Days ($8) which used the Vodacom network; it worked fine once I had the correct APN field. At the airport we also bought a SIM and plan costing $25.
Driving in Tanzania: refer to https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/safety-and-security which notes that “To drive in Zanzibar, you’ll also need a local Zanzibar driving permit (which you can get through your hire car company). Carry several copies of your driving licence, permits and insurance documents“ and “There are frequent police checkpoints. If you’re stopped by the police, ask to see identification. If you are issued with a fine, the police should give you a government control number for payment. The police should not ask you to make any on the spot payments for traffic violations. If you’re involved in a road accident, co-operate with the local police. If you see an unusual incident, or if somebody in plain clothes tries to flag you down, it is often safer not to stop”.
Speed limit is 40 km/hr in the city and 60 km/hr outside though in Paje there were 50 km/hr signs.
Rental Car: We used Kibabu (www.kibabucars.com) and booked a “Toyota RAV4 3 door with A/C and automatic transmission” for $30/24hrs. It was a little beat up but we had no issues. I booked it 2 days before arrival and they organised the Zanzibar Driving Permit (for the $10 standard price). Kibabu “recommend that you read www.zanzibarinsiderbuzz.wordpress.com for general information on Zanzibar, driving on Zanzibar with rental cars incl. traffic rules, location of ATMs, things to do on the island etc.”.
Climate links:
Zanzibar: www.expertafrica.com: Zanzibar
Paje: weather-and-climate.com: Paje

F.  REFERENCES

  • Chapman S (2022 Jan). Zanzibar trip report. Posted at mammalwatching.com.
  • iNaturalist (2024 Nov). Zanzibar mammals link– this links to a custom search for mammals (40 species shown – 2024 Nov 12).
  • Kurrent Technologies (2024 May 28). Provision of Consultancy Service for Conducting Birds and Bats Study along the Proposed 132 kV Backbone Transmission Line Route in Unguja. Final Report: Bat impact study. Zanzibar Energy Sector Transformation and Access Project (ZESTA). Consultancy contract TZ‑ZECO‑253715‑CS‑QCBS.104 pp. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099052824111036693/pdf/P1695611b9d2090a18e111b266a10ec142.pdf (see Section 4.1 “Bat species recorded on the island)

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