What Animals are in Serengeti National Park?
At the top of most travelers’ bucket lists sits Serengeti National Park, the world-famous wildlife park. Located in Tanzania’s north-central region, Serengeti is Africa’s number one choice. The main drawcard in this wonderful park is, of course, the Great Migration and the wildlife diversity. We can simply say, animals make the Serengeti even more famous than the landscape. As your safari partner, Focus East Africa Tours is here to give you a brief of the animals you will see during your Tanzania safari.
Migratory animals.
We can’t help ourselves but start with the global spotlight: the Great Migration. In this event, the famous migratory animals of the Serengeti, wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, follow the rain hoping to find fresh grazing fields. The movement features about 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 zebras, and 200,000 gazelles, making a total of over 2 million ungulates.
There are still a lot of non-migratory hoofed animals; therefore, you can still see wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles even when the migration ventures off into Kenya’s Masai Mara. But migration spends a longer time in the Tanzanian side, from January to September, making it very hard to miss seeing large herds of these iconic animals.
Big Five
Seeing the Big Five is another reason why you should include the Serengeti in your bucket list. All the megabeasts – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino – live in the verdant plains of the Serengeti.
Lions
Are there lions in the Serengeti? Yes, there are a lot of lions in the Serengeti. The park contributes a fair share of lions (up to 3,000) to the country’s largest lion population. And its prides are the most recognizable ones, including the famous pride depicted in The Lion King. The world hasn’t forgotten Bob Junior, the king of the Serengeti, who ruled the plains and was killed in a devastating fight in March 2023.
Leopards
Serengeti has a good count of leopards (around 1,000). But known for their elusiveness, leopards are among the animals you may miss if not careful. They spend the daytime hiding in trees, preferably acacia and sausage trees (Kigelia), to avoid the heat and disturbing insects. To spot one, we recommend going on morning drives or late evening drives.
Elephants.
The grey giants are among the animals found in the Serengeti. Since the park is mainly composed of savannah plains, elephants are common in the woodlands and riverine forests. You can see them throughout the park, but the good count is found in the Lobo Valley. They are often spotted near rivers and water holes during afternoons when they visit to drink and cool their bodies.
Buffalo
The large wild cow forms large herds and appears as black bodies from a distance. And for a good reason, this animal is called the ‘Black Death’ because it looks so humble. But it’s extremely dangerous when it charges. Buffalo are in large numbers in the Serengeti, usually grazing in the grasslands and woodlands. They are a frequent sighting during daily game drives.
Black rhino
A black rhino is present in the Serengeti, however, in low numbers. That makes it harder even to record a sighting in a day. Therefore, day trippers may not get the chance to witness this prehistoric mammal in its natural habitat. The best place for rhino sighting is in the south-central boulders called the Moru Kopjes, where they are constantly surveilled and monitored.
Other animals in the Serengeti
Beyond migratory animals and the Big Five, the Serengeti hosts many other wildlife species, some as big as the hippo and others as small as mice. Along the rivers (Seronera, Mbalageti, Grumeti, and Mara), you will see giant Nile crocodiles submerged underwater waiting for the right time to attack. These majestic predators create a dramatic scene when migratory animals try to cross the Grumeti and Mara Rivers, a scene sought after by every photographer.
Giraffes
The tall, graceful mammal, and the national animal of Tanzania, is among the animals that live in the Serengeti. Characterized by a tall neck, legs, and a spotted coat, giraffes thrive in the forests and woodlands where they feed on the topmost leaves of the trees. Expect to see a lot of them along the Seronera Valley and Lobo area.
Cheetah, a small, slender big cat, is usually spotted resting on a boulder in a cat-like pose. This animal is among predators, making the big cat list alongside lions and leopards. The best places to see cheetahs are Namiri Plains to the east of the Seronera, Moru Kopjes, and the southern Serengeti. If lucky, you can witness the world’s fastest land animal sprinting to catch its favorite prey – the Thomson gazelle.
The African wild dog was once out of sight in the Serengeti. Today, numbers are good and promising, around 500 canids and counting.
Other animals you should look after include bushbucks, impalas, hartebeest, oribis, and elands. Spotted hyenas, the noisy scavengers, are also among the notable animals you’ll see. Next to the list are striped hyenas (rare), sable and roan antelopes, and dik-diks. Don’t forget to search for primates like baboons and colobus monkeys in the forests and along the rivers.
Are there tigers in the Serengeti?
No, tigers don’t exist in the Serengeti. These majestic predators do not exist in Africa, hence not in the Serengeti and other parks in Tanzania. They are native to Asia, in countries like India. Serengeti is home to just three big cats: lion, leopard, and cheetah. In the Serengeti, you have plenty of animals to watch, from the Big Five to migratory animals. At Focus East Africa Tours, we are always happy to help you encounter your favorite animals. Don’t worry about what to pack for your Serengeti safari: our experts will send one once you reach out. Let’s plan your adventure.
