The Big 5 safari wildlife: a guide

And whether you’re heading to the plains of East Africa, including the Serengeti and Masai Mara, or the national parks of southern Africa, including less-visited nations such as Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, you’ve got a very good chance of being able to see this natural spectacle for yourself.

Perhaps the most unforgettable sight of all is watching the Great Migration, as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and African buffalo travel between Tanzania and Kenya, on an 800km quest for more food, water and a place to give birth to their calves – pursued by Africa’s big cats, looking for their prey. One of the best times is between July and August as the animals move back from the Serengeti to Kenya’s Masai Mara, crossing the Mara River in one of the most dramatic moments of all.

But whenever you choose to book your safari, pick your location carefully and you could spot all of the Big Five animals in one trip. Here’s everything you need to know in our Big 5 safari guide, as well as an extra challenge in the shape of the Little Five.

What are Africa’s Big 5?

The idea behind spotting the Big 5 animals in Africa has changed dramatically since the phrase was first coined. Originally, this meant the Big 5 game in Africa as a goal for big game hunters back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when everyone from European royalty to American presidents was hoping to bag one of the ultimate hunting trophies.

And while none of the animals in the Big Five are small, it’s not just their size which saw them included on this list – instead it was creatures which were unpredictable and dangerous, posing a threat to those who were hunting them, which is why giraffe don’t get included on the list.

Several other animals were similarly excluded: cheetah, as they were thought to be less difficult to track, and hippo, as hunters tended to stay on land – despite the fact that these territorial and aggressive beasts are actually responsible for more human fatalities in Africa today than the Big Five combined.

Happily, the phrase has a far more positive connotation today, when a chance to spot the Big Five is a key part of safari holidays. Although there’s plenty more fascinating wildlife to discover during a safari holiday in Africa, these five are still rare, majestic and impressive enough that sighting even one is an unforgettable experience. Here’s how to tick off your Big 5 safari checklist.

Lions

Lions

The king of the jungle, there’s little that compares to spotting a lion in its natural habitat in Africa, whether it’s males lounging in the shade, a lioness stalking her kill, or the chance to see lion cubs playing and practicing their skills in the long grass.

Early morning and late afternoon tend to be when lions are most active, so heading out just after sunrise and just before sunset is ideal. You may well spot them at other times, but they’re far more likely to be resting during the hottest part of the day.

As with many other African animals, a safari during the dry season is also a good time to spy lions, partly because there’s less chance of them hiding in the long undergrowth, but also as they’re most visible when they come out to drink at water holes.

Lions are territorial, so they don’t migrate through the year, which means you’ve got a good chance of seeing them in some of their main homes. The Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya is one of the best places to see lions in East Africa, with around one lion per 2km sq. And across the border in Tanzania, there’s a similarly good chance of spotting them, with as many as 3,000 in the Serengeti National Park, especially the Grumeti Game Reserve and in the Seronera Region.

Or head to South Africa, where around 2,000 lions live in Kruger National Park – an area around the size of Wales, the majority are found in the southern parts of the park. Within the park, Sabi Sands Game Reserve is known as one of the best places to see lions in Africa.

You’ll find lions in Botswana as well; in Chobe National Park, these particularly powerful big cats are known for their clashes with hyena, as well as preying on Africa’s biggest mammals, so it’s a great location if you’re hoping to see one going in for the kill.

Leopard at Kruger National Park, South Africa

Leopards

Lethally beautiful, leopards are often one of the hardest Big 5 safari animals to see – this stealthy and elusive big cat often spends its days snoozing in the branches of a tree or hidden in the thicker undergrowth, where their natural camouflage means you’ll be hard pressed to spot them. Which makes a sighting all the more memorable.

Dawn and dusk are some of the best times to see leopards, whether you’re lucky enough to spy one hunting, or returning to its kill which is usually hidden high in a tree away from scavengers, and which will feed a leopard for days. This is one time when having a guide can make all the difference, as not only do they know where leopards have been sighted, they can usually head off-road and head out as darkness is falling for the best chance to track one down.

Although leopards can travel over surprisingly large distances, like lions, they’re territorial and do not migrate through the year. Head to southern Africa for some of the best sightings, including Zambia’s

South Luangwa National Park which vies with Kruger National Park for the area with the greatest number of leopards. Kruger’s private reserves like Sabi Sand are ideal, with guides knowing the leopards’ patterns of behaviour.

But you’ve also got a good chance of seeing them in Kenya, including in the Masai Mara, as well as off the beaten track in Samburu National Reserve, where you have one of the best chances to see them lounging in acacia trees or on the rocky outcrops.

Rhinos at Mabula Private Game Reserve

Rhinoceros

While seeing either a black rhino or a white rhino will let you tick the world’s second-largest land mammal off your big five safari animals list, it’s possible to see both during a holiday in Africa. And seeing a ‘crash’ of rhinos in their natural habitat is one of the most memorable moments of any visit, watching these huge armoured creatures roam – and perhaps even charge.

As with most of Africa’s Big 5, the best time to see rhino is usually early morning and late afternoon as they emerge from the thicker vegetation (or return to it for the night) and around water holes. Black rhinos are often active at night as well, making them almost as elusive as leopards.

Rhinos don’t tend to migrate unless forced to do so by a lack of food or other reason, so you’ll have a good chance of spotting Africa’s main rhino population whenever you visit. If you’re hoping to see both the critically endangered black rhino and white rhinos in one place, South Africa’s Kruger National Park is home to thousands so you’ve got a good chance here.

Kenya is another great place to spot rhino; black rhino live in the Masai Mara, but you can see both black and white rhinos at Lake Nakuru National Park. Visit the country’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and you’ll have a chance to explore the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, as well as see the last two remaining northern white rhinos in the world too. Or head to Namibia, where Etosha National Park is another great location to see black rhinos if you’re looking to explore another corner of southern Africa.

Elephants at Chobe National Park, Botswana

Elephants

The world’s largest land mammal, seeing African elephants is mesmerizing – not just for their sheer size, with adult males reaching 4m tall and weight up to around 6,000kg, but for a chance to see relationships and individual personalities.

If you’re lucky enough to spot an elephant calf, these can be delightfully playful, copying the adults around them as they try to work out how to use their trunks, or trotting along behind their mothers. You’ll find groups of female elephants who stick together for life, grumpy older bulls as well as groups of younger males who’ll band together for short periods. Safari guides who get to know them over their long lives can be a mine of information about these fascinating groups.

Unlike many of the other Big Five animals, elephants do sometimes migrate seasonally – although that can vary from year to year, and from individual to individual. Travelling with a safari guide also gives you one of the best chances of knowing their location during your visit. The dry season is a good time of year for sightings, although elephants are less likely to be hidden in the undergrowth thanks to their size. Mid-afternoon is a good time to spot them around water holes too.

For guaranteed elephant sightings, head to Botswana, which is home to more of these gentle giants than any other country, with more than 130,000 living here. Chobe National Park has one of the highest concentrations of elephants in Africa and you can see some impressively large herds, as well as spotting elephants swimming in the Chobe River and using their trunks as snorkels.

Zimbabwe is next in terms of sheer numbers. Hwange National Park is home to half of the country’s elephants, around 40,000 of them, while South Luangwa National Park in neighbouring Zambia is another great place to see elephants swimming.

Both Kenya and South Africa have plenty of options for those hoping to see elephants too. In Kenya, Amboseli National Park is known for its huge herds, and the sight of elephants plodding majestically in front of Mount Kilimanjaro. Keep your camera at the ready! The Masai Mara, Tsavo West and Samburu National Reserve are also great options for some elephant spotting.

Further south, Kruger National Park has its own eye-catching elephant populations, but if you’re in South Africa, you shouldn’t miss the country’s third-largest National Park, Addo Elephant National park which unsurprisingly has some of the world’s best elephant viewing.

Cape buffalo

African Buffalo

The often overlooked fifth of the Big 5 animals, African buffalo might not have the same glamour as lions, leopards, elephants and rhino, but they’re no less memorable – these are creatures which can take on a pride of lions, after all. While there’s only one species of buffalo in the continent, you’ll come across four separate subspecies, including the bigger Cape buffalo (or southern savanna buffalo).

With their huge curving horns, standing as much as 2m high, they live in herds which usually number in the hundreds – but can join together in their thousands in the Serengeti to avoid predators. Most of the herds are made up of females and calves, with males often joining together in bachelor groups of similar ages, while older bulls often live more solitary lives.

And while zebra and wildebeest are what comes to mind first if you think of the Great Migration, the herds sweeping across the plains between Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti will include thousands of buffalo, an unforgettable part of this annual spectacle.

During the dry season (from June to October), you can also see huge herds of hundreds of buffalo on the Chobe River floodplains in Chobe National Park, Botswana, which then migrate to the Okavango Delta during the rainier months. Buffalo are also found across Kruger National Park in South Africa with around 2,500 living here alone. One of the few places you won’t find any are in Etosha National Park in Namibia if you’re hoping to tick off all the Big Five safari animals in a single location.

The little 5

It’s not only the Big five animals that you can spot on safari in Africa – there’s also a collection of tiny creatures known as the ‘Little Five’. While they aren’t as well-known as their larger compatriots, they’re no less fascinating and even trickier to spot if you’re looking for another challenge.

The Little Five is made up of the elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, buffalo weaver, rhino beetle and ant lion, and you can spot them across much of Southern Africa and East Africa, in particular in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.

The elephant shrew is actually more closely related to elephants than shrews, although it’s about the size of a mouse. This tiny mammal uses its own long, trunk-like nose to sniff out insects, and despite its size is very territorial. You’ll need to look closely to spot one as they speed quickly through the savanna and bush to avoid predators.

There’s more chance of seeing a leopard tortoise, if you’re lucky enough to pass one plodding steadily across the landscape. One of the largest tortoise species in Africa, its spotted shell gives it its name, and they can live for up to 50 years.

You might hear a buffalo weaver before you spot it. This small bird is known for its noisy chattering call, with a good chance of ticking off this member of the Little 5 at the same time as one of the African big 5, as they’re often seen alongside buffalo to catch insects off their hooves and coat. Otherwise, watch out for the birds’ untidy nests in acacia trees; if you spy either the white-headed or the black buffalo weaver, it counts to your total.

Like its namesake, the rhino beetle is known for its impressive strength; measuring no more than 5cm in length, rhino beetles can lift up to 850 times their body weight. And like rhinos, you can spot a curved ‘horn’ on the head of male rhino beetles, which they use to battle others. This is one of the easier Little Five to spot.

Lastly, the ant lion is the smallest member of the Little 5, also known as a doodlebug for its wandering patterns in the size. Despite being tiny, it’s a fearsome predator (although no threat to humans), digging funnel shaped traps to capture ants and other small insects, as well as ambushing them. Mainly nocturnal, this is another challenging creature to see.

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