Hippos spend most of their lives submerged in Africa’s lakes and rivers. After dark, however, they emerge from their aquatic homes to graze on the adjacent bank – sometimes consuming as much as 110 lbs/ 50 kgs of grass in a single night. Of course, all this roughage has to go somewhere, and the hippo’s preferred toilet is the water in which it lives. To make sure that the dung is properly distributed around its habitat, hippos use their tail as a propeller in a behavior known as „dung-showering“.

Hyenas are the archetypal African scavenger – although some species, like the spotted hyena, actually catch and kill the majority of their prey. Others, like the striped hyena, rely on the leftovers of other predators‘ meals for their food. After the big cats have finished with their kill, the hyenas arrive to clear up what’s left – which often, is only bones. As a result, hyenas are equipped with exceptionally strong teeth, capable of crushing bones into fragments that are easier to digest. Bones contain a high level of calcium, which is eventually excreted from the hyena’s body in its poo.

Despite their fearsome reputation, Nile crocodiles make pretty dedicated mothers. After burying their eggs in the sand, crocodile moms guard their nests for three months before carefully uncovering the eggs when the little ones are ready to hatch. It is ironic, then, that crocodile poop is best known for its use in one of the world’s very first contraceptives. According to papyrus scrolls dated to 1850 BC, women in Ancient Egypt used pessaries made from crocodile poo, honey and sodium carbonate to block and kill sperm.

African elephants are the planet’s largest terrestrial animals, and they eat accordingly. Every day, a single elephant can consume up to 990 lbs/ 450 kgs of vegetation. However, only 40% is fully digested, resulting in a considerable amount of large, fiber-filled droppings. These droppings can be used for many different things, including the manufacture of eco-friendly elephant dung paper; and the production of bio-gas. It is rumored that elephant poo has plenty of uses from a survival perspective, too.

Of course, no article on African animal dung would be complete without mentioning the continent’s connoisseur of all things poopy – the dung beetle. There are many different species of dung beetle worldwide, but perhaps the most interesting in Africa is Scarabaeus satyrus. This little guy is often seen crossing the roads in safari parks, determinedly pushing a ball of dung many times larger than itself. This is precious cargo, and will eventually be buried in the beetle’s underground nest. Here, it serves as a cocoon for the beetle’s eggs, and later as a food source for emerging pupae.