What Are The Big Five In Uganda? The Term “Big five animals” was formed by the trophy hunters in 1800’s and this meant after considering these animal species as the most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt on foot compared to the rest of other wildlife species within the national park. Therefore these big five animals include; Lions, Leopards, Rhinoceros, Cape buffalo and the African Elephants. In addition, currently, the best way to view these animals is embarking on game drive activities where they view them from a distance and opt to use cameras and binoculars in order to capture the classic views of the mammal species. More so, a safari in Uganda is considered incomplete without seeing the big five animals. Hence, these species are seen as among the top tourist attractions in Uganda, which makes many people to travel from all over other parts to of the world to Uganda.
Where to find the big five animals in Uganda.
Tourists on a safari in Uganda with a big aim of seeing the big five animals can choose to visit some savannah parks and it is best during the game drives which are always done in the morning and evening or tourists can also opt to go on boat cruise which helps to explore through the national parks. And these places where tourists can easily spot the big five animals include;
- Queen Elizabeth National park, which is located in Kasese district in the Southwestern region of Uganda, and this national park is the most visited and famously known because of its tree-climbing lions.
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which is the only place in Uganda which has been conserved and protected to be a home to the remaining rhino species in the country. Therefore, this is the only place where individuals can be able to see Rhinos.
- Murchison falls National Park, which is known as the largest national park in the country and it is, located the Eastern Region of Uganda in Masindi district. This is also famously known to be a home to the big five animals.
- More so, these mammal species can also be found in Kidepo valley national park and many other national parks in Uganda such as; Lake Mburo national park, Semuliki national park and in other vegetation places where Bwindi Impenetrable national park where African elephants are usually spotted as the wander around the beautiful environment of the park.
Best time to see the Big Five Animals in Uganda.
Tourists can travel to Uganda to check out the big five animals at any time in the year however, the dry season is considered as the best time one should travel and this is between months of June to September and from mid- December to February. During this period time, this is when there are fewer rains that may lead to less destructions on people’s daily programs and the grass within the national parks is always short hence providing tourists with clear views of the park and the big five. However, some of the tourists still prefer the rainy season which is considered to be a low season due to the fact that the rates are always low compared to the dry season and it is also known as a mating season.
Uganda’s Big five animals.
African lions.
The African lions in Uganda are also referred to as “the Kings of the jungle” and are characterized as loyal animals, brave, strong and social because they always stay together in their prides for example a group of related females and their cubs. In addition, Uganda as a country is a home to over 400 lion species, which attract many tourists. more so, there are a number of interesting things to know about these species such as; these lions are only able to walk for about 4 kilometers but run a distance of about 60 kilometers, the lions are the only big cat animals that live in social structures unlike the other big four, they are also the loudest big cats whereby their a male lion’s roar can be heard in a distance of 8 kilometers away, these lion species say hello to each other by rubbing their cheeks and lastly, they are seen tugging on each other stomachs with their teeth as a way of saying goodbye. Tourists on their safari to see the African lions is always worth it.
African Elephants.
These African elephants are seen as the largest mammal species and it is noticed that the males are larger than the females with a big round head. These mammal species have large ears, long truck, upper incisors which form long curved tusks of ivory, and have a little hair on their skin. More so, the African elephants stay within the mountain forests, sub desert areas, and within the forest savanna as their natural habitats and eat up around 450 kilograms of Vegetation on a daily basis.
Leopards.
Leopards stay within the highland forests and woodlands as their natural habitats and all the leopards are seen to have black spots. More so, the leopard species are considered as the champions of athlete in the whole cat world, their coats are short and sleek, and this depends on where it stays. A leopards coat can be grey ochre, black or be the pale straw color. The African leopards feed on many animals as their food such as; mice, insects, antelopes, fish, dogs and other dead animals and they normally search for their food during the night.
White Rhinoceros.
The white Rhinos are bulkier and large compared to the black rhinos and they have a distinctive hump on their neck. These White Rhinos are herbivorous animals, which have two upright horns on the nose bridge, and it is considered as the most social compared to all other rhino species and have a wide mouth, which is always used for grazing. White rhinos usually stay in savanna grasslands as their natural habitat and it is observed that the male rhinos have about 2.6 tones while the female rhinos have 1.7 tones.
Buffalos.
Buffalos are easily spotted within the montane forests, near the lakes and rivers, savanna grasslands where they stay as their natural habitats. The African buffalos are considered the most dangerous animals among the big five and this usually happens most especially when their peace is disturbed and they tend to be violent when injured. More so, the male buffaloes are larger than the females and the savannah buffaloes are seen to have a dark brown coat.
Contact our trusted tour operators in case of more information about the Uganda’s big five animals and Book with our tours and travel companies like Achieve Global safaris who offer the best tour packages during your safari in Uganda.