Forty percent of the wildlife are mammals, such as the lion, zebra, giraffe, tiger, baboons, elephant, rhinoceros, and gazelle. There are amphibians, such as the African Tree Frog. Hundreds of birds live in this habitat, like the vulture, flamingo, and marabou stork. Many of the animals have adapted to this climate, such as the cheetah, who developed the ability to pursue their prey at high speeds. People Farming and herding are the major ways of living.
Permanent settlement is limited by the long dry season, uncertain rainfall, and poor soils.
Overgrazing and cultivation of marginal soils already low in plant nutrients are destroying what were once rich farming lands. In the savannahs, trees are cut down over a large area and then stacked on fields, where they are burned. The wood ash adds fertilizer to the soil. Crops like sorghum, millet, and cassava are grown for several years, until the soil is exhausted. Then the farmers must move on.