Savanna Animals for Kids: Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras and Lions
Eight animals of the African savanna, the wide grassland dotted with trees: the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the rhino and the hippo, and the big cats that hunt there, the lion, the cheetah and the leopard.
Elephant fills a whole column of the 8x8 grid, running upward. Only rhino and lion lie across, and lion reads backwards.
Savanna Animals Vocabulary: 8 Words to Find
Words run across, up and down; 4 of the 8 read backwards. The longest word is Elephant, with 8 letters.
- Cheetah: The fastest land animal, a slim, spotted cat of the African savanna.
- Elephant: The largest land animal, which uses its trunk to breathe, smell, drink and grab food.
- Giraffe: The tallest animal, which eats leaves from the tops of acacia trees on the savanna.
- Hippo: A huge African mammal that spends the day in rivers and comes out at night to graze.
- Leopard: A spotted big cat of Africa and Asia that hunts at night and stores its prey in trees.
- Lion: The big cat of the African savanna that lives in family groups called prides.
- Rhino: The rhinoceros, a huge plant-eater with one or two horns made of keratin, like fingernails.
- Zebra: An African wild horse with black and white stripes.
How to Solve the Savanna Animals Word Search
"Elephant" fills a whole column, running upward. "Zebra" has the only Z and runs upward too. Look for the doubles: EE in "cheetah", FF in "giraffe" and PP in "hippo". "Lion" is the only backwards word.
How Long the Savanna Animals Word Search Takes
5 players have solved this puzzle on their first try, and they took a median of 34 seconds. Half of them finished between 31 seconds and 42 seconds. None of them needed a hint.
Times measured on Word Search Free, online play only, first attempt per player. Updated 2026-10-15.
Savanna Activities for Kindergarten and First Grade
- Sort the animals into plant-eaters and meat-eaters.
- Paint a savanna scene with grass, acacia trees and the animals from the list.
- Ask children why giraffes and elephants can reach food other animals cannot.
Savanna Animals Word Search FAQ
Who is the Savanna Animals Word Search for?
Children aged 5 to 8 learning about Africa.
Which directions do the words run in?
Words run across, up and down; 4 of the 8 read backwards. There are no diagonal words.
How long does this puzzle take?
About 34 seconds: that is the median first-try time of the 5 players who have solved it online. Most finish between 31 seconds and 42 seconds.
Is there an answer key for the Savanna Animals Word Search?
Yes. Download it from the printable section above: it is a separate PDF with all 8 words marked. Online, each word is crossed off the list the moment you find it.
More Animals by Habitat Word Searches
- African Animal Word Search: the medium version, with the Big Five.
- Jungle Animals Word Search: the animals of the rainforest.
More easy Animals by Habitat word searches (6 in this category)