Big Five Safaris & The Big 5 Animals

Selecting the perfect African safari holiday can be difficult when it comes to Big Five Safaris & tours. There are so many countries to choose from, parks to explore, animals to see, safari lodges to enjoy the stay while on an Africa safari, and a variety of unique activities to partake in that it makes picking one place impossible almost.

Among the popular Safari Countries for watching Africa’s big five include Uganda, Rwanda & Democratic Republic of Congo, it’s well known for Rwanda Gorilla Trek offers Wildlife Safaris & Gorilla trekking in all the east & central African Countries at the most discounted prices and quotes.

Countries, where all the members of the big five can be found, include Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Malawi.

African Big Five Animals

They include African lions, African Buffalo, Rhinoceros, elephants, and Leopard. The reason why they are called the Big five. It was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Subsequently, the term was adopted by Safari Tour Operators for marketing purposes. The term is used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African Wildlife Safaris. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.

African elephants

The big five are among the most dangerous, yet most popular species for big-game hunters to hunt. They are endangered.

In Uganda, you can find the Big five from Queen Elizabeth National park, Murchison falls national park, Kidepo National Park, and Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. You can view the 4 on a game drive but Rhinos at Ziwa can be seen by foot; you track them with the help of the guides. Big five can make the safari memorable, viewing them in their natural habitats is so rewarding.

In Rwanda, you can view the big five in Akagera National Park. They introduced Lions and Rhinos, from South Africa by the African Parks which manages the park. They were absent from the park for many years.

Facts About The Big five Animals of Africa

Leopards are excellent at climbing trees. They’ll often safeguard their kill in a tree to prevent lions and hyenas from stealing it. They are also strong swimmers and occasionally eat fish and crabs.
Buffalo’s primary predator is the lion. Buffalo will try to rescue another member who has been caught. They have been observed killing a lion after it has killed a member of the group.
African elephants communicate across large distances at a low frequency that cannot be heard by humans.
Rhinos have poor vision and will sometimes attack trees and rocks by accident. However, their hearing and sense of smell are excellent, thus often making up for their poor eyesight.
The African buffalo is not believed to be closely related to the water buffalo even though they superficially resemble each other. And unlike the water buffalo, the dangerous African buffalo has never been domesticated.
The rhino is the most endangered species of the Big Five. Rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high in 2009. The illegal trade is being driven by an Asian demand for horns, made worse by increasingly sophisticated poachers who are now using veterinary drugs, poison, crossbows, and high-caliber weapons to kill rhinos. Very few rhinos now survive outside national parks and reserves.
Typically, the darker a lion’s mane, the older he is.
The leopard is nocturnal, solitary, and secretive, staying hidden during the day. They are the least seen of the Big Five.
Many plant species have evolved seeds that are dependent on passing through an elephant’s digestive tract before they can germinate. At least one-third of tree species in West African forests rely on elephants in this way for dissemination.
White rhinos aren’t white, but slate gray to yellowish-brown in color. The species’ name actually takes its root from Dutch, “weit” (wide), in reference to the animal’s wide muzzle.

The Big 5 Animals

They include African lions, African Buffalo, Rhinoceros, elephants, and Leopard. The reason why they are called the Big five. It was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Subsequently, the term was adopted by safari tour operators for marketing purposes. The term is used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.

African Buffalo

The big five are among the most dangerous, yet most popular species for big-game hunters to hunt. They are endangered.

In Uganda, you can find the Big five from Queen Elizabeth National park, Murchison falls national park, Kidepo national park, and Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. You can view the 4 on a game drive but Rhinos at Ziwa can be seen by foot; you track them with the help of the guides. Big five can make the safari memorable, viewing them in their natural habitats is so rewarding.

In Rwanda, you can view the big five in Akagera national park. They introduced Lions and Rhinos, from South Africa by the African Parks which manages the park. They were absent from the park for many years.

The African Leopard

Leopards are generally most active between sunset and sunrise and kill more prey at this time. They have an exceptional ability to adapt to changes in prey availability and have a very broad diet. Small prey is taken where large ungulates are less common. The known prey of leopards ranges from dung beetles to adult elands.

It is the most elusive and the hardest to spot. They choose to stalk their prey and once caught they use their power to pull the meal into a tree. Spotting leopard is a chance and taking a picture it’s also another change because they tend to hide. They are found in most wildlife parks in Africa.

The African Lion

In the wilderness, males seldom live longer than 10 to 14 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their life span. In captivity, they can live more than 20 years. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males.

Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. Lions are apex and keystone predators, although they are also expert scavengers obtaining over 50 percent of their food by scavenging as opportunity allows. While lions do not typically hunt humans, some have. Sleeping mainly during the day, lions are active primarily at night (nocturnal), although sometimes at twilight

They live in pride and are thought to be some of the most social cats in the world. They are mostly seen in the wildlife parks, of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, etc. While a lion on the hunt is marvelous to watch the majority of safari-goers see the lions basking in the sun after a meal. The lion is the king of the jungle.

The African Elephant

They can be found roaming in herds in 37 the African nations and they’re also the largest land animals on earth. They are highly intelligent animals displaying emotions, memories, problem-solving skills, and deep social bonds on a daily basis.

Elephants are herbivorous and can be found in different habitats including savannahs, forests, deserts, and marshes. They prefer to stay near water. They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments. Other animals tend to keep their distance from elephants while predators, such as lions, tigers, hyenas, and any wild dogs, usually target only young elephants.

The Cape buffalo

The Cape buffalo is the typical subspecies, and the largest one, found in South and East Africa. S. c. nanus. The adult buffalo’s horns are its characteristic feature; they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head referred to as a “boss”. They are widely regarded as very dangerous animals.

The African buffalo has never been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the water buffalo. Other than humans, African Cape buffaloes have few predators aside from lions and large crocodiles and are capable of defending themselves. Being a member of the big five games, the Cape buffalo is a sought-after trophy in hunting.

The Rhino

They have a herbivorous diet, small brains, one or two horns, and thick protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary.

African Rhino

The Rhino is the most threatened of the Big Five animals. Poachers are ravaging the Rhino population due to the popularity of Rhino horns in Vietnam and China.

There are two types of rhinos in Africa, the black rhino, and the white rhino. Despite their names, both animals are similar in color. The two most notable differences between the species are the mouth and size. Black rhinos are nearly extinct, they are smaller in size, and have a pointed tip designed for eating bushes and twigs. While the White Rhino has a wide lip and is larger in size.

Big Five Safaris & The Big 5 Animals

African Big Five Animals

Facts About The Big five Animals of Africa