There are a number of countries within Africa which you can see Africa’s ‘Big Five, however the most stunning of these is Tanzania. This is because Tanzania has one of the largest populations of each of these big five, and the ideal environment for them to live.
Named the Big Five not because of their size, but mostly because of the danger they pose, and how difficult they are to hunt. They are most likely to extinct and some of the big five are grouped as endangered species, but thanks to increasing regulations, hunting has tremendously decreased, and it’s becoming much easier to find the Big 5 while visiting Tanzania.
Lion
As the proverb goes, the king of the jungle is the Lion! These large cats can weigh about 250kg and are probably among the most feared animals in the African wilderness.
There are around 16,000 lions in Tanzania. They are the apex predators, and their daily lives are quite fascinating for animal lovers. African lions are social animals and they live together in a pride. Each pride has about 3 male lions, 6-12 female lionesses, and the lion cubs. The Male Lions are usually identified by a mane and don’t normally hunt, on the other hand The females in the pack do the hunting through following their prey until they’re close enough to get and put it down
A number of the locations in which these animals may be seen within Tanzania include Serengeti, Selous, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire, Ruaha.
Best time to see them: January – December.
African Elephant
Elephants are the largest mammals on land this era, with the biggest record with a weight of 11,000kg. African Elephant are far larger than their Asian counterparts, and have distinctively larger ears. These animals are herbivores, and because of that they spend most time of their day eating plants including fruits, tree barks plus leaves.
A number of the locations in which these animals may be seen within Tanzania include Selous, Arusha, Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara as well as Tarangire and Ruaha national park.
Best time to see them: January – December.
Cape buffalo
The African Buffalo, or the Cape buffalo, is one of the most unique creatures on the planet. They look bovine and timid, but do not be fooled by their look. These buffaloes are incredibly strong and ferocious when provoked. In fact, the African buffalo is the most dangerous animal to hunt in the continent than the hippopotamus. The buffalo’s main predator is the lion, which must employ tactical methods to hunt them, especially to avoid the thick, bulletproof horns on its head!
A number of the locations in which these animals may be seen within Tanzania include Serengeti, Selous, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tarangire and Arusha.
Best time to see them: February – March, June – December
Rhino
There are two types of rhinos in Africa: white and black rhino. Both of them have grey bodies. What sets them apart is the shape of their lip: the white rhino has a square lip, while the black rhino has a pointed upper lip.
These rhino are enormous, and solitary. They look rather prehistoric in their structure- especially the black rhino, with its uniquely shaped horns. The rhinoceros are critically endangered due to years of poaching. If the current conservation efforts do not work, the chance of extinction is high.
A number of the locations in which these animals may be seen within Tanzania include Serengeti, Tarangire as well as the Ngorongoro Crater.
Best time to see them: February- March, June- December.
Leopard
The leopard is a significantly patterned large cat, which hunts during the night and normally sleeps throughout the day. They have a tendency of hunting animals smaller than the lions would, and they usually keep their kill high in the trees branches to prevent scavengers from taking their prey.
A number of the locations in which these animals may be seen within Tanzania include Mt. Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire, Mikumi and Ruaha National Park.
Best time to see them: February – March, June – December.
