The Big Five Wildlife Animals in Tanzania
The Big Five Wildlife Animals in Tanzania: Tanzania has a lot to offer visitors when it comes to wildlife because it has rich biodiversity, ranging from beautiful flora and fauna, which attract large numbers of visitors all over the world. Visitors travel to Tanzania for various reasons, such as to view the big five animals and to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the tallest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. These big five wildlife animals include the African elephant, the African lion, the African leopard, the Cape buffaloes and the rhino. Many African countries harbour the big five wildlife animals, but Tanzania is the best country that offers you the greatest big five experience because it harbours the largest populations of each of these big five animals.
They are called the big five animals, not because of their size, but because they are the most deadly mammals in Africa. The term big five was invented by hunters based on how difficult they were to hunt, yet they were the most sought-after animals during hunting. But due to increased regulations in national parks, today hunting has decreased, which allows visitors to spot the big five wildlife animals in Tanzanian national parks and other protected areas in Africa. The term Big Five Tanzania safari is still used on safaris by tourists and guides, especially during the game drives.
African Elephants
Elephants are the largest land mammals in the world and can grow from 8.2 to 13 feet and a weight of 5,000 to 14000 lbs. Elephants are highly intelligent animals and herbivores that spend most of their days eating plants like tree bark, fruits, leaves, among others
Destinations in Tanzania where the African elephants can be viewed
The African elephants in Tanzania can be seen in Selous Game Reserve, Arusha national park, Serengeti national park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro crater, Ruaha national park, Lake Manyara national park and Tarangire national park.
African Lions
African lions are also called the kings of the jungle, and they are the most feared animals in Africa. Lions are predators and social animals that live together in a pride of about 15 to 25 members, with the majority of females and their cubs. In each pride, there are always 1 to 4 males to protect the territory; they do not continue with the group after reaching the adolescence stage. Male lions can be identified by manes, and they normally don’t hunt because the females are the ones that go hunting so as to feed their cubs.
It’s believed that lionesses are better hunters than lions due to their light weight, speed, body flexibility and a slimmer body that helps them to stay hidden in the grass for a long time. Lions are known for sleeping a lot for about 20 hours a day because they have few sweat glands and therefore they sleep to get more energy. Tanzania is blessed to have the largest population of lions among other African destinations, and they can be viewed in several national parks
Destinations in Tanzania where the African lions can be seen
Lions on a Tanzania safari can be seen in Serengeti National Park, Selous National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater, among others.
African Leopards
The African leopard is the smallest animal in the cat family and the hardest to see on a Tanzania safari because they are elusive. Leopards are solitary animals that go hunting at night and normally sleep during the day. They hunt animals which are smaller than they are in size and normally keep their kill high in the tree branches so as to keep their prey from scavengers and other animals. On your safari in Tanzania, you should go on a night game drive so as to be able to view the leopards on a hunt, and if you are doing a day game drive, you should look carefully in trees because they always use trees as beds and feeding places for their prey.
Destinations in Tanzania where the African leopards can be seen
African leopards can be viewed in various national parks in Tanzania, including Serengeti National Park, Arusha National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Tarangire National Park, among others.
Cape Buffaloes
The cape buffaloes grow to a shoulder height of 1.6m tall, body length of 1.5 to 3.5 meters and weigh approximately 700kg. Buffaloes live in groups called herds and feed on grass. They are strong, dangerous and considered unexpectedly harmful if they are found alone, wounded, or even provoked, in that they can kill everything that comes close to them. They have an excellent sense of hearing due to the fact that their vision is poor.
The African cape buffaloes have no predators apart from the hungry lions and sometimes crocodiles. The African buffaloes is are herbivores that feed on vegetation, including grass, leaves, stems, trees, and herbs, among others. They usually graze early in the morning, late evenings and drink up to 40 litres of water daily.
Destinations in Tanzania where Cape buffaloes can be seen
The cape buffaloes are found in various Tanzanian national parks, including Serengeti National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Katavi National Park, among others.
Rhinos
Rhinos are critically endangered animals in Tanzania and other wilderness areas in Africa, with numbers decreasing very fast in the past years due to poaching. Rhinos are solitary, big and powerful animals with a mature rhino weighing about 2500 kg and 5 to 6 feet tall. They are herbivores that feed on vegetation, including plants, grass, stems, leaves, fruits, tree branches, and roots, among others.
Destinations in Tanzania where Rhinos can be viewed
There are a number of destinations in Tanzania where rhinos can be seen, for example, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.
The big five wildlife animals in Tanzania can be viewed during the Tanzania safari game drive around the park in an open-roof safari vehicle, night game drive with spotlight touches, guided nature walk where you will explore the national parks on foot, and during the boat ride along the water bodies. In case you want to engage in all these amazing activities on your Tanzania safari, you can contact Focus East Africa Tours.
Best time to go for the big five wildlife animals in Tanzania
Big five wildlife safari in Tanzania can be can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in June to October because during this period there is thin vegetation, roads will be accessible and the big five animals will gather around the water sources to drink water which allows you to clearly view all the big five animals and also take great pictures.
Apart from the big five animals, Tanzania harbours other wildlife animals, including large populations of chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, other animals like hippos, impala, wildebeest, eland, and different bird species, among others. Seeing the big five wildlife animals in Tanzania is a great experience and an unforgettable moment. Therefore, if you don’t want to miss out on this amazing experience, you can contact Focus East Africa Tours for various Tanzania safari packages.
