African Animals Word Search

Created by Kim White Steele, founder of Puzzles to Print

A fun, free printable word search puzzle worksheet featuring African animals for elementary school students or anyone looking to review their knowledge of the world. The puzzle now comes in two versions, one easy and one challenging so you can pick the option that best suits your needs.

Free printable African Animals Word Search puzzle worksheet — African Animals Word Search

Choose your download

Easy African Animals Word Search

No overlapsHorizontal + VerticalShorter word bank

A gentler version for kids or first-time puzzlers. Ideal for grades 1–3 or quick warm-ups.

Student PDF Teacher PDF

Challenging African Animals Word Search

Full word bankDiagonal + BackwardMore complex layout

A harder puzzle for older students and experienced puzzlers. Great for grades 4+.

Student PDF Teacher PDF

Printing tips (and what’s inside the Teacher PDF)

The Student PDF is just the puzzle page. The Teacher PDF can include an answer key and (optionally) a short intro/instructions page for classroom use. For best results, print at 100% scale (or “Actual Size”).

Word list: aardvark, baboon, bat, bonobo, buffalo, cheetah, chimpanzee, crocodile, elephant, gazelle, gelada, genet, giraffe, gorilla, hartebeest, hedgehog, hippopotamus, honey badger, hyena, hyrax, impala, jackal, leopard, lion, mandrill, meerkat, mongoose, ostrich, pangolin, porcupine, rhinoceros, sable, serval, springhare, vulture, warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, and zebra