Animals in African coats of arms

[Kevin Peacocke]

The coats of arms of former and current African countries are packed full of african game animals. They are all spectacularly beautiful, paying real tribute to the local animals they depict. Rather than do a collage of them all at once, lets explore and see what we can come up with, ill post a few to get started. The first is from the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the sable and the leopard. The sable crops up for many countries, a symbol of regal power and poise that it is.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

A particularly beautiful one is Uganda, who knows what the antelope is?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Namibia obviously features the gemsbok, grand.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

There are lots of surprises in the coats of arms, here is one - the buffalo is rare, I can find only one, and it is cryptic at that - Benin.

 

[Boela]

South Africa: Each province's coat of arms.... Very interesting thread, I have never looked at each province.

 

[mark-hunter]

A particularly beautiful one is Uganda, who knows what the antelope is?

That would be ugandan kob.

 

[mark-hunter]

And...

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

The only one I can find with a crocodile is Lesutho, a cold highland country! Do they even have crocs?

 

[mark-hunter]

The only one I can find with a crocodile is Lesutho, a cold highland country! Do they even have crocs?

Its not about crocodile, it is about ethnic origin. From wiki:

The coat of arms of Lesotho was adopted on 4 October 1968 following independence. Pictured is a crocodile on a Basotho shield. This is the symbol of the dynasty of Lesotho's largest ethnicity, the Basotho. Behind the shield there are two crossed weapons, an assegai (lance) and a knobkierie (club).

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Its not about crocodile, it is about ethnic origin. From wiki:

The coat of arms of Lesotho was adopted on 4 October 1968 following independence. Pictured is a crocodile on a Basotho shield. This is the symbol of the dynasty of Lesotho's largest ethnicity, the Basotho. Behind the shield there are two crossed weapons, an assegai (lance) and a knobkierie (club).

Ah ha! We learn.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Here is an unusual one, not a nation, but Bulawayo city, elephant and its closest relative the hyrax or dassie. Beautiful.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

On our most beautiful antelope thread, the sable seems to be out on top. A great depiction of it's beauty in the coat of arms of the former Rhodesia:

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

And Zimbabwe's kudu are equally splendid:

 

[WebleyGreene455]

Do they even have crocs?

Seems they did around 200 million years ago:

Orthosuchus - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[WebleyGreene455]

As a note for some of the mottoes shown here:

Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland: Magni esse mereamur means to "Let Us Deserve Greatness".​

Republic of South Africa: ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke means to "Diverse People Unite".​

Botswana: Pula literally means "rain".​

Lesotho: Khotso, Pula, Nala means "Peace, Rain, Prosperity".​

Seychelles: Finis Coronat Opus means "The Crown ends the work".​

Bulawayo: Si ye pambili means "Let us go forward".​

Rhodesia: Sit nomine digna means "May she be worthy of the name"​