The Big 5 in a Tanzania’s Safari

Tanzania is a wonderful land, one of those where you can discover new ecosystems, observe migrations, see many animals and obviously get lost in the discovery of unique craters and lakes in the world. Starting with an organized safari in Tanzania, will give you the opportunity to see not only the nature parks protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered natural reserves but also to see those known as the “Big 5” that are the big five that live in some areas of Tanzania.

Who are the big five in Tanzania?

During a safari in Tanzania you could get to know the Big Five, but who are them? And why are they grouped together? Here you’re going to find some curiosity about them:

• African Elephant: the first member of the big 5 is the African elephant. Large enough to leave you speechless, it is the largest mammal in the world. It can be mainly seen in the area of the crater of Ngorongoro or in the park of Serengeti, sometimes it also shows in the area of Tarangire.
• Lion: it’s the feline considered as the king of the savannah. During a safari in Tanzania it’s really easy to spot him. Often, it can be seen not so far away from the lionesses, sometimes also accompanied by cubs. Proud in its movements and unique in the world, it leaves everyone speechless when they can spot it
• Leopard: we’ll remain in the feline family even though this time we point out the leopard that is one of the most “shy” and capable hunters, the reason why it is really difficult to spot during a safari. With experienced guides you may be able to see it more easily.
• Black Rhinoceros: Part of the big 5 the black rhinoceros is an endangered animal because for a long time it had been hunted in order to use its horns as a natural remedy, typical of Chinese medicine
• African Buffalo: member of the big five, the african buffalo is not particularly charming or endangered, but it’s part of this group. Where and when to spot it? In the Serengeti plains

Why are they called the big five

If nowadays the safari in Tanzania are made in complete respect of nature and especially in the protection of animals, in the past it was sadly not so. Especially the aristocratic Europeans in the past went to Africa in order to hunt and had identified the 5 species most difficult to catch by studying and analyzing their movement, their ability to camouflage and their aggression.

From this activity was coined the name “Big Five”, that is still used today for identifying a group of species, that fortunately now is in the nature reserves, where hunting is absolutely forbidden in order to protect the animals in their habitat.

Where to see the big five in the safari in Tanzania

Would you like to discover the Big Five? We organize different kinds of Safari in Tanzania, created with the aim to discover the species in their natural habitat.

The Safari Ndutu, for example, has a programme of 8 days and 7 nights, that allows you to go and discover the Big Five towards the end of the journey. The trip starts with a day in the park of Manyara Lake, where you can spot flamingos, pelicans and herons and then move the next day to the crater of Ngorongoro, where you can spot lions, hyenas and elephants. The last 4 days are dedicated to Serengeti-Ndutu, where among all the activities it is possible to go discover the “giants of the Savannah”.

With 8 days and 7 nights, Safari Jambo Jambo takes you to discover the big five. The first day is dedicated to Manyara Lake, the second to Ngorongoro crater and the last two days are reserved for the discovery of the African protected natural area where you can see the giants. The safari ends with a day at Natron Lake and one in Tarangire.

Also in Safari Mara some moments are reserved for the discovery of the big five: 4 days are spent in Serengeti halfway through the trip, after seeing lake Manyara and Ngorongoro, ending with a day in Tarangire.

The Big Five are one of the most appreciated attraction of Safari in Tanzania, that’s why even in the shortest trip of 3 days and 2 nights, called Asante Ladha, we offer 1 day at Manyara Lake, after which we leave for Caldera del Ngorongoro and close the trip with a day in Tarangire.