What are the Big 5 Animals on a Tanzania Safari?

The Big 5

Tanzania is a country of breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife. With a total of 22 national parks and one of the broadest ranges of wildlife in Africa, Tanzania is home to some of the most iconic animals on the planet and it is one of the best places for safari in the world.

Among Tanzania’s wildlife, the Big 5 – which is lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes – define the ultimate African safari experience. You might wonder however, why those specific animals are part of the Big 5? Is a giraffe not large as well?

In this blog, we’ll explore our most frequently asked questions about Tanzania safaris including why these African safari animals are called the Big 5, where they can be found in Tanzania and the best time to spot them, as well as providing insight to the other popular animals you can see on an African safari in Tanzania with Kandoo Adventures.

What are the Big 5 animals?

Lion
Leopard
Elephant
Rhino
Buffalo

Lion

Often referred to as the ‘King of the Jungle’, the lion is without a doubt one of the most sought after and powerful creatures in the animal kingdom. The African lion is thought to be the most social of all the big cats and they can be found roaming around together in groups called ‘prides’. Each pride usually consists of a herd of about 15 lions which includes only one or two males (with one being the dominant male) and the rest of the members include females and cubs of different ages.

The female lions are the hunters of the pride – usually on the prowl at night, in the afternoon or early morning. Their prey includes wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, buffalo – and even young elephants. You can usually spot lions hanging around in open plains, where their ‘victims’ often congregate thanks to plenty of grazing and permanent water sources in these areas.

Tanzania is home to the largest population of lions in Africa, with approximately 14,000, according to recent estimates. In comparison, South Africa and Botswana each have about 3,000 lions, while Kenya and Zambia have populations of around 2,500. If you want to choose a travel to a destination where you can watch lions in their natural habitat, you should look for safaris in Tanzania.

Leopard

The leopard is the most shy and elusive of the Big 5. They mainly prey on small to medium-sized animals such as antelope, baby zebra, hares, mice and birds. A nocturnal hunter, the leopard is extremely stealthy and will stalk its prey until within 5 to 20m, and then pounce before the prey has had a chance to realise that the leopard is there. Once the prey has been killed, leopards will often drag the carcass up a tree to protect it from other scavengers such as hyenas.

These big cats tend to favour rocky landscapes with dense bush and riverine forests, but they have also shown to be highly adaptable to many places in both warm and cold climates. They occur in a wide range of habitats; from deserts and semi-desert regions of southern Africa to arid regions of north Africa, to savanna grasslands of east and southern Africa, to mountainous environments on Mt. Kenya, to the rainforests of west and central Africa. In the Serengeti National Park, you will most likely spot a leopard resting on a tree branch. So don’t forget to look up!

Elephant

The elephant is the largest land mammal in the world, and they can live for as long as 60 years. There are two sub-species of elephant in Africa: the African savannah elephant and the African forest elephant. Today, there are just 415,000 elephants across Africa. While elephant poaching is trending downward, with significant declines in East Africa, poaching continues to steer the species dangerously nearer to extinction.

Female elephants live together in family herds of anything up to 25 related females. The matriarch female of the herd is the mother, normally identifiable as being the largest elephant, and the rest of the herd will consist of her grown offspring and their offspring too. The matriarch dictates where the herd moves to, and what they do, whether it be feeding, bathing or sleeping. Male elephants are either solitary or live together in small bachelor herds and will only join the females to mate.

Rhino

There are three rhino species in Africa: black rhinos, northern white rhinos, and southern white rhinos. Many people expect the difference between the black and the white rhino to be their colour. However, when you see them, you soon realise that they are both a dark grey colour. The two species of rhinos have distinguishable physical features resulting from the adaptation of different behaviours. White rhinos tend to be significantly larger than black rhinos and black rhinos have a more defined arch in their back. The greatest difference, however, is the shape of a rhino’s mouth and lips. White rhinos are grazers so flat and broad lips serve excellently to the purpose while black rhinos feed on leaves and branches, so their lips have evolved into the shape of a hook.

More than 70% of Africa’s rhinos are southern white rhinos, yet they are classified as “near threatened” on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, northern white rhinos are on the brink of extinction and black rhinos remain a critically endangered species. However, thanks to intensive conservation efforts, their numbers in Africa are on the rise and one of the last remaining places to see black rhino in the wild is the Serengeti or Ngorongoro crater.

Buffalo

Buffalo live together in large mixed herds, and are mostly active during the day, spending most of their time grazing, resting, moving on to new grassland, or wallowing in waterholes. They are actually the most dangerous member of the Big 5, as they will charge without giving any warning signals.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation, there are 4 buffalo species in Africa – savannah buffalo, west African savannah buffalo and forest buffalo – and 75% of their total population now lives in protected areas. Despite their population in Africa is estimated to amount to 400,000, their numbers are decreasing.

Why are they called the Big 5?

The Big 5 aren’t actually the 5 biggest or heaviest African animals. The term Big 5 was coined in the late 19th century by colonists in Africa to indicate the wild animals they considered the hardest and most dangerous to hunt on foot. Lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos were known to be dangerous, and it was considered a feat by trophy hunters to bring them home.

Today, however, the expression takes on a gentler form, referring to seeing the Big 5 – not hunting them – during wildlife safaris on the continent of Africa. It is a term that is extensively used in conjunction with African safaris, often used in safari promotions. It is worth noting that while the Big 5 are an impressive spectacle to see, there’s far more things to see and do on safari in Tazania and seeing all 5 in one go is not always possible.

Where are the Big 5 found?

Members of the Big 5 are found in different concentrations across the continent of Africa. Here’s a list of countries where the Big 5 are found: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Keyna, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

What are the best Tanzania safari destinations to spot the Big 5 animals?

There are a total of 22 national parks in Tanzania and it is estimated that 38% of its land is reserved as protected wildlife areas, home to a large quantity of rare and endangered species. Members of the Big 5 can be found in different concentrations across Tanzania, though the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are home to all of Africa’s Big 5.

Serengeti National Park

Located in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular Tanzania safari destinations because it offers an unrivalled chance of spotting the Big 5 in the wild. With a thriving predator population and varied birdlife, there's always something to see here, often around the rivers and watering holes where the animals gather to quench their thirst.

Although the Serengeti is home to the Big 5, it’s also known for being home to the great wildebeest migration. This grand annual spectacle is when vast numbers of wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra and gazelle, seek fresh grazing and better-quality water. The Serengeti sets the stage for the drama to unfold as they navigate diverse terrain and dodge predators along the way.

Although it’s wild out there, the reserve is home to ultra-luxurious lodges, designed to give you the best seat in the house to admire the Serengeti’s show. What’s more, if you’re visiting the Serengeti when the huge herds of wildebeest are in the south of the Serengeti, a balloon safari is a real once in a lifetime experience and you will have a birds-eye view of the great migration.

The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most awesome places to visit in Tanzania and one of the best places to view the Big 5. Located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the northernmost part of Tanzania, it was formed by a volcanic explosion nearly 3 million years ago, and it is the largest intact volcano caldera in the world, stretching 16-19km in width.

Due to the enclosed nature of the crater, the space is a living and breathing mini ecosystem with dense forest and grassy plains where the animals converge in great numbers. It is also one of the best places to view lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos in all of Africa. The resident population of black rhinos is also a very big attraction, as rhinos are more difficult to spot elsewhere.

Here, your days on safari are spent enjoying crater floor game drives and picnics overlooking waterholes that attract over 500 rainbow bird species. If you’re short on time, there’s no better place in Tanzania for guaranteed animal sightings and for this reason, any Tanzania safari should ideally include a visit here.

When is the best time to see the Big 5?

Tanzania is a year-round safari destination and the best time for a Tanzania safari really depends on what wildlife you’d like to spot.

Overall, the best time to embark on a Tanzania safari to see the Big 5 is during the country’s long dry season which falls between the months of July and October. These are considered the best months for spotting the elusive Big 5, seeing the famous great migration in the Serengeti National Park, trekking Mount Kilimanjaro and enjoying the tropical beaches of Zanzibar Island.

If you aren’t fixed on seeing the great migration at its peak, there are other times to visit that may suit you better. January to March is calving season, offering a great opportunity to see young wildebeest, zebras and antelopes as well as lion cubs and even elephant calves. Tanzania’s ‘green season’ between November and March is a fantastic time for birdwatching, as migratory species arrive in their thousands. There will be fewer visitors during this time, along with lower prices, although there may be some rainfall.

The ‘long rain’ season from March to May is the least popular time to take a Tanzania safari, as heavy rains can disrupt wildlife viewing. However, if you’re looking for the best safari deals, this is the time of year you can pick them up!

Other popular animals to see on safari in Tanzania

When you embark on a safari in Tanzania, you can rest assured that you will encounter an abundance of fascinating animals in the wild, not just the Big 5. Tanzania is home to 300 types of mammals, 400 varieties of reptiles and amphibians and over 1,000 species of birds, totalling more than four million wild animals in Tanzania alone.

Aside from lions and leopards, other cats in Tanzania include the serval, caracal, and in Ngorongoro, the elusive golden cat. Other carnivores include several species of jackal, cheetah, honey badger, rock hyrax, the rare bat-eared fox, spotted and striped hyena, and the remaining population of Africa’s wild dogs, which can be found in Ruaha National Park.

On safari, expect to see roan antelope, wildebeest, sable, mongoose, impala, kudu, topis, kongonis, hartebeest, eland, bushbuck, the spiral horned bovines, oryx, Kirk’s dik-dik, and giraffe. Interestingly, the only place the giraffe cannot be found is in Ngorongoro Crater, it is thought that they cannot get up the steep sides.

There are over 1,000 species of bird in Tanzania, some of which are endemic to the country, including the Udzungwa forest partridge, Pemba green pigeon, the Usambara weaver, and the Udzungwa eagle owl. Ostrich, avocets, bitterns, shags, herons, ibises, jacanas, kingfishers, plovers, sandpipers, snipes can also all be found in Tanzania. There are numerous raptors too, such as babblers, bee-eaters, bulbuls, canaries, crows, francolins, falcons.

Safari holidays in Tanzania

Kandoo Adventures organise incredible wildlife safari holidays to one of the most famous African safari destinations, Tanzania. Whether you want to add a Tanzania safari holiday onto your Kilimanjaro trek or skip the hiking all together and go in search of breathtaking wildlife, Kandoo offer 2–7-day safari trips which can be booked as standalone safari holidays or as an add-on after climbing Kilimanjaro. What better way to rest your tired legs than a wildlife spotting adventure from the comfort of our private 4x4 safari vehicles with your own personal guide!

The shorter safari trips we offer visit the beautiful Tarangire National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site Ngorongoro Crater which are closer to Arusha and Kilimanjaro. Longer wildlife expeditions journey further afield to the iconic Serengeti National Park in addition to the Tarangire and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Regardless of how much time you have available, a Kandoo Tanzania safari promises unrivalled opportunities to spot big game, experience the endless African savannahs and the discovery of the unique wildlife and landscapes that Africa is most famous for. It is a great add on after your Kilimanjaro trek to rest your legs and enjoy luxury tented camps and the hospitality of the locals.

If you still have any questions about Tanzania safari holidays, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the helpful team at Kandoo Adventures HQ.

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