Africa’s big 5 game

Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos are Africa’s big 5 a name adopted because of their character and strength more so from past time that they were not easily hunted down by hunters and at some instances hunters got hunted by these fierce animals only to run for their lives. Africa’s big 5 game are in all savannah grassland and woodland species and are common in African countries covered by this type of vegetation zone for example Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, and Lesotho.

Lions

Lions belong to the cat family and are communal animals as they live in groups called prides. Male ones retain the name lions while females are called lionesses and their young ones called cubs. Prides are headed by one alpha male that leads a family numerous lionesses and cubs. Lions are carnivorous animals and hunt collectively for their meat and blood for meals. Lions fight for mating rights and the victor takes on the pride unless when the lionesses are not interested in it, they can move away to form another family elsewhere with other males. On joining the new pride, lions will kill all other male cubs unless they escape. Lionesses play a significant role in taking care of the family as they do most of the hunting. Being lighter than the males, lionesses run faster and this speed is an advantage to hunting

Males don’t usually entertain other males be it when they are stills cubs and always roar and mark territories to alert and keep away intruders. Lionesses separate from the family to find caves and secure places where to give birth from, protect their young ones for up to 3 months before reintroducing them to the rest of the family.

With their strength, lions can kill any size prey in the wilderness even the big elephants, hippos and tall giraffes have fallen victim to these ruthless killers. They are also fond making ambush and hunting their prey at night given their sharp eye sight and prey being asleep.

Leopards

Leopards are also cats and one of the notorious killers in the Jungle. Leopards are some of the hard predators to see in the wild as they are fond of hiding and camouflaging to sleep and not be recognized during the day and at night lay trap in wait of prey. They are good nocturnal hunters with a sharper eye sight than their prey at night. These cats usually hide their meat up in trees where other predators search as lions and hyenas cannot easily reach to steal their kill. Leopards are also strong beasts and are able to carry killed prey doubling its weight or up to 60 kgs up to tree branches. Leopards usually kill prey smaller that grown buffaloes for example kobs- the burgers of the wild, young buffaloes, antelopes, young wildebeests, water bucks, monkeys, ostriches among others.

Leopards are usually loners and not family species with males living solitary from females and their cubs only to come together during the mating seasons. They give birth to between 3-6 young ones which they protect from lions, hyena’s attacks, buffalo and elephant stampedes that can lead to their death. They wean them until they can hunt for themselves and take on their own territories.

Buffaloes

Buffaloes are some of the biggest sightings on African safaris and also entertaining especially when being taken hostage of lions that target them for prey. Buffaloes are the most unpredictable animals while out there in the wild as you cannot predict their aggressions patterns. Herds of buffaloes have all cows, bulls and calves, with calves always moving from the midst of the herds for protect. Bulls usually lead defense from attacking predators for example lions. Buffaloes usually reside along river banks for quenching their thirst and cooling their bodies from heat. Being herbivores, they move around in search of good pastures.

Elephants

Being the largest land mammals, elephants are outstanding species in the wild and worth seeing with their playful calves. Elephants live in herds led by the oldest female called the matriarch who guides them on directions to water/ thirst quenching grounds, search for new pasture grounds, leading defense etc. Bulls (male elephants) sometimes live and move separately from herds and join them during mating seasons. Elephants are herbivores animals and don’t eat any meat in their diet. When provoked, elephants are aggressive and dangerous. With their great strength, elephants use their trunks to uproot trees and break tree branches especially when they need to eat leaves in high tree canopies. Adult elephants weigh up to 7 tons of weight. Elephants have a gestation period of 22 months and usually bear a single calf. While in procession, calves are protected amidst the herd and adult ones. Elephant lives are threatened by hunting from poachers that kill them to take their tasks.

Rhinoceros

As some of the largest mammals in the wild, rhinos are unique species not of size but also stature and herbivores animals. Today in Africa, there are mostly the black African rhinos and the southern white rhinos in most African game parks. Only two remaining white northern rhinos are remaining in Africa and kept at the Ol Pejeta conservancy in Kenya putting them at the brink of extinction. Rhinos breed and commonly give birth to one calf and are solitary animals that prefer living quiet far away into the wild. Rhinos become easily provoked and are aggressive. Bulls hold fights for mating rights which may at times result into death. Rhinos have a hard skin and not commonly prey to the big predators making their greatest threat human being who poach them for their tusks.

Africa’s big 5 game packages

Other Africa's big/ amazing animal species in the African wild

Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorillas are the largest apes alive on the planet classified as endangered species given being at the edge of extinction 2 and half decades ago. Thanks to the great efforts done by tourism authorities and conservationists towards preserving this species from human attacks that had seen its numbers reduce. Today the number of mountain gorillas has gone up a bit from hundreds to more than 1,000 individuals in their natural habitat. Mountain gorillas are only found in the Virunga massif that is a bordering intersection of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain gorillas share 98% DNA with humans. This ape species cannot survive from anywhere else Apart from the Virunga massif. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Volcanoes national parks and Mgahinga national park have the highest number of these ape species.

Cheetahs

Known for their high speed while chasing prey, cheetahs are the fastest land animal species and can accelerate up to 110 km/hr. (70mph) making it a unique species to come across in the wild. These cats are also carnivores and their diet is only of meat and blood. Cheetahs are light weight with slim bodies and they don’t usually engage prey bigger than their body sizes thus their victims being kobs, impalas, water bucks, rabbits, ostriches, young buffaloes, young wildebeests, guinea fowls etc. Cheetahs bear between 3-6 cubs which they protect and hunt to feed till they are able to make their own kill. These cubs are usually killed by other big cats and hyenas if they come across them and their mother always has the role to protect them from any threats and dangers

Giraffes

There are African Nubian giraffes and Rothchild’s giraffes in Africa. Africa safaris are some of the best moments to see these 11 feet towering species in the wild as they found in almost all game parks for example Murchison falls national park has more than ¾ of the world’s population of rothschild’s giraffes. Many other parks like Masai Mara, Serengeti, Akagera, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo N.P, Tsavo N.P, Tarangire N.P among others are also rich in giraffe species of both Nubian and Rothchild’s giraffes Giraffes are herbivores and usually eat leaves high on trees, young tree shoots and young soft thorny tree shoots. They will also be seen visit rivers widen their legs and bend to drink water to quench their thirst. Given their size and stature, giraffes have unique character and behavior that are different from those of many other animal species in the wild for example; giraffes sleep while stand, their leg movements are not diagonally corresponding like for other land mammals while moving…. Giraffes fight while swinging their necks to hit the opponents with their horns a blow that may through an opponent down not to rise again. Some of these aggressions occur during fights for mating rights. Giraffes live in small herds where adults are always protecting their young ones from predators using their long legs.

Hippopotamus

Hippopotami are another large mammal species in the wild and an adult hippo can weight up to 3.5 tons living both in water and on land. Hippos are herbivores and do not eat any meat though during aggression and fights they will use their long canines to pierce and tear into the opponents’ skin, still they won’t swallow the flesh and blood. They are also nocturnal and mainly get to land at night when it’s cool to feed on grass and spend 16 hours including day in water under temperatures as their bodies cannot withstand high temperatures. Hippos swim and can stay under water for 5 minutes. The best hippo spotting scene is on the Kazinga channel which harbors over 5,000 hippos and the river Nile at Murchison falls while on a boat cruise and all over water bodies and swamps in the savannah grassland region.

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are the second largest apes alive after mountain gorillas found in the forest of west and east Africa. They are classified into the western dwarf chimpanzees and eastern chimpanzees; the latter being bigger than the former. The highest number of eastern chimpanzees are found in Kibale forest national park which has 1,500 individuals, other destinations are Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park, Nyungwe forest national park and conservation centers for example Ngamba island conservancy, Ol Pejeta conservancy and Uganda wildlife education center zoo. Chimpanzees are both herbivores and carnivores with meat contributing only 2% to their diet and the rest being leaves, tree barks, routs, insect vertebrates (snails, ants, termites…). Chimpanzees are social animals living in families of between 10-25 individuals and maintain these groups while moving. Trekking these primates while watch them play and interact is worth a lifetime moment to embark on.

Zebras

Zebras are herbivores and do not eat meat anywhere in their diet. They are one of the most beautiful animals in the wild with their black and white stripes. Zebras move in herds with their calves under the protection of the adults from predators for example cheetahs, leopards, lions etc. Just like human finger prints, each zebra’s stripes are unique to itself and there are no two zebras with the same exact print of stripes. Zebras are also known for their strong back kick whose weight can break the skull or jaws of a predator chasing it. The savannah grasslands have the best zebra sightings all through the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Kidepo valley, lake Mburo, Akagera, Amboseli, Tarangire, lake Manyara national parks etc. Up close experience can best be done at Lake Mburo national park on a walking safari which is a zebra park without predators and they reside in high numbers along with other herbivores for example giraffes, warthogs, buffaloes, kobs hippos, water bucks, impalas and many more.

Warthogs

Warthogs also referred to as “Pumbas” are wild pigs with its canines of the lower jaw protruding like short tusks. Warthogs are herbivores and burrow holes in the ground where they sleep and hide from predators. They are also known for their high speed charging of 50 km/hr.(31mph) usually beating off their predators. They bear their litter that are usually more than 5 in number which they move with while feeding and hide in burrowed holes to protect them.