The Big Five in Tanzania
The Big Five in Tanzania : The Big 5 animals which comprise ;The lion, the leopard, the buffalo, the Rhino and the Elephant. Why are they called the Big Five? This is because the wealthy Western men discovered that it was trendy to travel to the uncharted continent of Africa to hunt rare animals, the idea of the Big Five of Africa came into being in the latter part of the 1800s. Although they weren’t the biggest creatures in Africa, these were the most dangerous and difficult to catch for trophy purposes. Hunting them was a brave and exhausting task that frequently ended in injury or even death. People who were able to display all five prizes in social clubs were regarded as real adventurers and brave heroes.
Safari has evolved from a hunting trip to an educational experience, and with it, the kinds of trophies that are sought after. Today’s explorers want unforgettable experiences, beautiful photos, and the rare chance to get up close and personal with the subjects of incredible National Geographic documentaries. In the modern days, safari tour in Africa tourists have something close to African animal checklists, which they can tick off when visiting national parks. They use this as a guide when going for the game viewing in the parks and spotting a member of the big five is a highlight of any safari especially seeing the elusive member of the big five – the leopard. They can then share their vivid observations of the continent’s wildlife. Let’s now introduce ourselves to the members of the Big Five.
The African bush Elephant
According to the Guinness World Records, the African elephants are the largest terrestrial animal. The African Elephants are able to grow to a maximum height of 4 metres (13 feet) and a maximum documented weight of 6,600 kilogrammes (14,550 pounds), while claims of encounters with much larger animals exist.
Elephants and humans are quite similar in many ways: they are intellectual, gregarious, and have a big influence on the environment. Like humans, they have a maximum lifespan of 70 years. Elephants group together to form herds, working together to raise and safeguard their young. These African giants are as intelligent as dolphins and large apes combined. Elephants have been seen to exhibit a surprising behaviour when they visit the bones of deceased family members, standing close by and caressing the remains with their trunks. Additionally, they are known to be empathetic towards members of other species in addition to those of their own kind.
Among all wild species, elephants have the most power to change the environment. With their gigantic tusks, they dig large drinking holes in the dried-up riverbeds, thinning out forests and savannahs, and clearing paths through thickets. Watering holes and woodland trails later provide benefits to other creatures. Elephant damage contributes to the creation of open areas for antelopes, zebras, and other plains wildlife. Elephants are said to as ecosystem engineers because of their capacity. One such example is Rubondo Island in Tanzania, where the national park was first established with the introduction of elephants. Smaller creatures were brought into the forest after those giants cleared areas for them.
Where to find Elephants in Tanzania
These majestic animals are found in national parks and reserves such as Tarangire National Park , Serengeti National Park , Ngorongoro Crater, Ruaha National Park, and Nyerere National Park home to these amazing creatures.
The Lion
The lion is one of the most spectacular and captivating animals in Africa, lions require no introduction. This Big Five representative played the lead role in the most well-known film about African animals, “The Lion King,” and his name, Simba, means “lion” in Swahili, the language most people in Tanzania speak. They are the only socially cohesive big cat species, in safari tours in Tanzania lions are spotted in prides. Of the 38 species of cats known to exist, eight are regarded as large: the tiger, lion, clouded leopard, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, and Eurasian lynx. The thing that most big cats have in common is their roaring nature. Up to 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) can be heard on the savannah when the lion roars, according to measurements.
But, as with elephant herds, lion groups are actually highly matriarchal, with the lioness ruling the pride. Males spend their entire lives switching up their prides. They capture and hold prides for two to three years, or a little longer if there are many lions and they behave well. Males have three responsibilities: they have to defend their territory and pride with their growing progeny, trespass on other each others territory to broaden their sphere of influence, and kill rival male cubs.
Where to see lions in Tanzania safari tour
In addition to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you can find lions in even greater numbers in the Serengeti, Ruaha, Nyerere, and other national parks including Lake Manyara and Tarangire.
The Buffalo
Buffaloes are known to congregate in herds, sometimes fairly big, consisting of up to 500 members on the plains of Africa. In the African savannah plains , you can see them congregate into super-herds that can number in the thousands. They can stay secure and defend their offspring from predator attacks by acting in this way. Buffaloes have few natural adversaries in Africa.Large cats tend to favour smaller prey, and even lions are reluctant to confront buffalo because the stakes are too great. When lions or dogs resembling hyenas attack buffaloes, they often target the last few buffaloes in the herd. However, buffaloes are able to defend themselves well, and they still have a good chance of repelling attacks. Buffaloes have been known to kill lions in addition to driving them away in numerous documented cases.
Where to find Buffaloes in Tanzania
African buffalo herds can be seen in several parks in Tanzania such as Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National park and the additionally, southern national parks like Nyerere and Ruaha are also home to buffaloes.
The Rhino
The second-largest land mammal is a rhino. White rhinos is the biggest of them, weighing an average of 2,300 kg (5,070 pounds). There have been reports of individuals weighing as much as 3,600 kg (7,937 pounds)! Even heavier rhinos are supposedly out there, although those numbers are unconfirmed.
Despite having very low vision, rhinos are noted for having great hearing and smell abilities . But these animals face little natural risks, except from people. The only animals that will occasionally attack rhino calves or sick ones are the lions and crocodiles, along with gangs of hyenas and wild dogs.
The green vegetation on their well-known grazing grounds and the surrounding water are the only things rhinos herbivores are interested on. The grazing rhino will push other animals away if they trespass on their territory. Rhinos charge aggressively sometimes even attacking a preying predator, in order to defend their calves. Aside from their horns, rhinos are also known for having thick skin. It acts as a kind of natural armour and can get up to 5 centimetres (2 inches) thick in some spots. African tribes have traditionally made shields from their skin.
Where they are found in Tanzania
The Best place to see Rhinos in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Crater, it is in this area that the first wild rhino in its natural habitat was spotted. Other great places are; the Serengeti National Park, Nyerere National Park and Mkomazi national Park
The Leopard
Leopards are nocturnal hunters who use the surrounding forest to their advantage, they are elusive animals too. They’d rather not spend energy pursuing prey for too long. Instead, they approach their target discreetly and carefully, using their strong legs and claws to launch a tremendous leap that incapacitates it. Other predators do not pursue leopards on purpose because they are regarded as apex predators. But rival leopards fighting over territory pose the biggest threat to them. Additionally, larger cats like lions and crocodiles may feast on them. Leopards nearly seldom win these kinds of encounters.
Where to see leopards in Tanzania
Leopards are the most elusive and difficult to spot animal among the Big Five and apart from its elusive behaviour, it is also a nocturnal animal. It takes a lot of patience and luck from both of you and your tour guide to spot a leopard . To better increase your chances of spotting a leopard ,you can spend more days in the certain protected areas where they are frequently sighted.
Some of the National parks inhabited by leopards are ; Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area including the Ngorongoro Crater .
