Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania : It’s likely that if you’re travelling to Africa for a safari, you’re excited to see some of the amazing animals that inhabit the continent. And the Big Five are the greatest of all time. This term was given to the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo in the early 1900s. This is due to the fact that they were the main targets of affluent big game hunters who travelled from Europe and other continents to kill these amazing creatures. Fortunately, these times are mostly in the past, and today’s natural treasures in Africa bring in significant sums of money for the continent through tourism, supporting the survival of both people and animals. Here is our guide to the locations on safari where you can see the Big Five.
Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania : The Best places to see Lions
The most well-known of the Big Five are unquestionably the “King of the Savannah,” the “King of the Beasts,” and, strangely enough, the “King of the Jungle”—despite the fact that they are not native to the jungle! The lion is the only large cat species—along with all other small cats—that lives in prides. These prides can have anywhere between 15 and 40 members, mostly related females with their young plus one dominant male that has gained acceptance into the pride via intense competition with other males. They are independent animals, with the females carrying out the majority of the hunting (pardon the pun).
When a kill is brought to the pride, the male eats first, followed by the cubs, and the females eat what are sometimes just the scraps! This is how lion society typically functions: the females provide, and the male protects.
Serengeti National Park
Lions can be spotted in the vast plains of the Serengeti national park, which is also home to all five of the Big Five. There are an estimated 3000 lions in the park, and one of the best things about the Serengeti is that it’s one of the few areas of Africa where lion populations are increasing.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara national park, one of Africa’s most well-known national reserves, was the setting for the BBC’s renowned Big Cat Diaries, which followed the lives of numerous big cats, but particularly the lions.
Lake Manyara National Park
One of the few locations in Africa where tree-climbing lions can be found is Lake Manyara national park. It’s quite a sight to see the resident big cats lounging around in the acacia trees during the day, though no one is quite sure why.
Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania : Best places to see leopards in East Africa
When on safari, the African leopard is frequently one of the most difficult to locate. Save during mating and when raising their young, these eminent hunters are usually solitary animals. These nocturnal cats spend the majority of the day sleeping in trees and hunt for their prey at night, frequently employing ambush as a successful tactic. Strong and agile, leopards frequently drag prey up trees for safe eating, away from hyenas and other predators, sometimes weighing up to three times their own body weight. Because they are extremely protective of their hunting area, leopards will use any means necessary to keep other leopards away from it, including marking trees with their claws and spraying urine. Male leopards can have territories up to 30 square miles larger than female leopard territories, which are typically only 6 square miles. Male and female leopards frequently overlap with one another, but never with just the males.
Lake Nakuru National Park
Since there aren’t many lions in Lake Nakuru national park, the leopard is a more significant inhabitant. It’s interesting to note that they are frequently spotted here during the day, and the large number of fever trees with their thick branches make it the perfect place for leopard lounging during the day.
Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania : Best places to see Elephants
The largest land mammal in the world are African elephants, the “giants of the savannah.” It’s easy to understand why, given that they can weigh up to 6 tonnes and reach heights of up to 3 metres and 7 metres, respectively. The elephant, one of Africa’s most recognisable creatures, is frequently the most sighted of the Big Five. These amazing animals are known to live in large herds and cherish a matriarchal society. Elephant females are the dominant ones. They are highly revered by their herds and sadly missed when they pass away. They frequently lead the herd for decades at a time, making all the decisions about where to go, when to eat, how long to stay somewhere, and how to handle any possible danger. When male elephants reach puberty, which occurs around age 13 or 14, they usually leave the herd and join other single elephants until they are 30 years old, at which point they start looking for a mate. Elephants have a remarkable 22-month gestation period and a maximum lifespan of 70 months.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a capital city organisation that provides care for a large number of orphaned baby elephants. When the baby elephants come in from the bush for milk and water play, there’s an elephant nursery open for business for an hour every day!
Amboseli National Park
Kenya’s most visited park is the Amboseli National Parks, crowned by Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. One of the best places in Africa to get up close and personal with large herds of elephants is Amboseli, named after a Maasai word meaning “salty dust.” Here, enthusiasts for the natural world may study five distinct environments: the dry floor of Lake Amboseli, marshes containing sulphur springs, woodlands, and savannah. In order to experience the genuine culture of the Maasai people who live in the park, they can also go visit them.
Tsavo East National Park
One of the most striking pictures in Africa is that of wallowing, dust-red elephants rolling and covering each other with the midnight blue waters of the palm-shaded Galana River. This combined with the world’s longest lava flow, the 300 km long Yatta Plateau, offers an experience in the Tsavo East national park that is unmatched. As Kenya’s largest protected area, the park is home to many of the country’s larger mammals, including lions, leopards, red elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, waterbucks, lesser kudus, gerenuks, and hundreds of recorded species of birds.
Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania : Best places to see Rhinos
The rhinoceros, which is classified into two separate species, is the second largest land mammal globally. The white rhino, so named by Dutch settlers and Boers who travelled to Africa, is the more common of these rhinos and was given the nickname because of its wide, or “wyd,” mouth. Colour has no bearing on it. To distinguish between the two species, the second was dubbed the black rhino by nature. In actuality, both species have a grey hue. The black rhino peaks at 1400 kg, while the white rhino can weigh an astounding 2500 kg at times. The white rhino is the heavier of the two. For two reasons: first, the mud serves as an excellent sunblock and insect repellent. Rhinos love to wallow in the mud and are frequently spotted covered in it! Rhinos give birth to just one calf per litter, which they fiercely guard. It’s interesting to note that a black rhino will always keep its calf behind it, while a female white rhino will always keep it in front of her. Because it is more erratic than the other rhino, the black rhino is thought to be more dangerous. In addition, compared to the white rhino, it is more elusive and alone.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta conservancy, the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, is home to a large population of black rhinos that roam freely. It is also home to Barake, a blind black rhino that the conservancy saved, and four of the remaining seven northern white rhinos in the world.
Lake Nakuru National Park
Black and white rhinos can be found in Lake Nakuru national park, despite the city being best known for its flamingo population. Although black rhinos are harder to see, you can increase your chances of seeing them if you camp or stay at a lodge in the park and leave early in the morning.
Best places to see Buffaloes
The African or Cape buffalo is a much more dangerous and ferocious animal than the Asian water buffalo. This buffalo is wild, unlike its Asian relatives. The buffalo is regarded as the most dangerous of the Big Five because of its total unpredictable nature, despite lacking the size and teeth of elephants and lions.
Buffalo are gregarious animals that travel the African plains in enormous herds, sometimes numbering up to 500 individuals. Unlike more elusive creatures like the leopard and rhino, buffalo are easy to spot; on a safari, you will undoubtedly see a lot of them. The impressive horns on the males are primarily used for fighting and shielding the herd from predators, such as lions. In actuality, lions that hunt buffalo frequently bite off more than they can chew; additionally, buffalo that are stampeding have been known to kill lions and to save their fellows from the jaws of lions.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is a great place to find buffalo, even though they are not the main reason to visit (July to November). This is because the area attracts impressive herd numbers during the migration season. You won’t have any trouble finding herds of a thousand or more at this time.
Ngorongoro Crater
Buffalo are drawn in large numbers to the Ngorongoro Crater, just like they are to most of East Africa’s major parks. Due to their bold nature, they have been known to approach campers on the crater rim fairly closely, so exercise caution.
In summary; the above article enlightens one about the Big Five safari tours of Kenya and Tanzania
