Africa Big 5 Animals in Uganda – Big five safaris in Uganda
Africa big 5 animals in Uganda – Uganda’s National Parks offers amazing wildlife, including the big five animals which can be seen on a game safari to Uganda in Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Seeing the big five animals on a safari in Uganda is such a great experience.
You will go Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, watch elephants walk in front of your safari vehicle on a game drive in one of the mentioned National Parks.
Africa Big 5 is a term for some time back in the 1800s by trophy hunters referring to what they considered the most challenging and dangerous animals to hunt on foot and these include the African Elephant, Lion, Leopard, African Cape buffalo and the Rhinos. Today the term is mostly famous with Uganda safaris you who now shoot the big five with your camera rather than a killing weapon.
The Africa big 5 animals in Uganda are all present in Uganda and can easily be seen in all savannah National Parks. The phrase today is commonly used to market Uganda safaris, but back in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, everyone from European royalty to American presidents wanted to bag an African hunting trophy.
Where can you find the Big Five animals in Uganda?
Apart from the Northern White Rhino which can only be seen in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Entebbe Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, tourists have a good chance of seeing the other members of the Africa Big 5 animals in any of the four Uganda savannah National Parks.
A game drive in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo National Parks will put you in the centre of nonchalant herds of Cape buffalo, African Elephant, a hunting pride of African Lions, and for the elusive Leopard, a relaxed and patient early or late evening savannah game drive may lead you to its hunting joints.
African Lion (Panthera leo)
The largest and most imposing African carnivore, and the most dangerous member of the Africa big 5 animals in Uganda, the African Lion, is the most sociable of the large cats, living in loosely structured feelings of pride of five to 15 animals. Lions have special cultural significance in most countries on the continent. In Uganda, they enjoy a reputation as ‘King of the jungle’ and are popular symbols of royalty, strength and bravery.
Uganda lions are mainly found in the three largest savannah National Parks which are Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo National Parks. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Ishasha sector lions are known for their unique behaviour of climbing trees and have been branded the “Ishasha tree-climbing lions” by tourists who flock this sector to have sight of this rare behaviour. But recently all other lions in other parts have been sighted up in the trees on some game drives in the National Parks.
The African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
This is the biggest land mammal is one of the most loved African animals. In Uganda, there are two types of African elephants; the Savannah African elephant which is common and is easily seen on safari game drives in Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. The other type is the African forest Elephant which is rarely seen in Uganda but lives in Kibale Forest and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Parks.
African Elephants are one of the big five animals in Uganda and they are deadly and very dangerous. They are very intelligent, have intense emotions and are great at solving problems. They display deep social bonds all the time. They are believed to be having the biggest memory among the others
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
This is the most elusive, and also the smallest, of Africa big 5 animals. Leopards are sneaky and harder to spot. Naturally shy and exclusively nocturnal, Leopards spends many daylight hours hidden. The solitary big cats haul large kills, such as antelopes, into a tree to eat alone, in peace.
These impressively shy cats can be distinguished from Cheetahs by their rosette-shaped spots and more powerful build, as well as by their preference for wooded or rocky habitats. They are found in virtually all habitats which offer adequate cover and are present in most Ugandan National Parks and forest reserves.
On an Uganda safari in Africa, Leopards can be seen in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo, Mountain Elgon National Parks and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.
The African Cape buffalo
This is one of the commonly seen animals in Uganda. It is also one of the most dangerous animals to come across. They are seen during morning, evening and night game drives while on a game safari in Uganda National Parks. The African Cape Buffalo almost has no predators apart from the real brave and hungry Lions and sometimes the Nile Crocodiles. Find the African Cape Buffalo in Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale Forest and Lake Mburo National Parks among others
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros, commonly known as, Rhino is a large, herbivorous mammal identified by its characteristic horned snouts. The word “Rhinoceros” comes from the Greek words “Rhino” (nose) and “ceros” (horn).
Rhinoceroses are universally recognized by their massive bodies, stumpy legs and either one or two dermal horns. In some species, the horns may be short or not obvious. They are renowned for having poor eyesight, but their senses of smell and hearing are highly developed.
The biggest of the five surviving species occurs in Uganda, the Northern White Rhino and can only be seen in the massively protected Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe commonly referred to as the Zoo.