The "Big Five" Experience Tanzania

The term “The Big Five” referred to the five animals that were the most difficult to hunt: Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Rhinoceros, and African buffalo. In past days, these five animals were considered to be dangerous, and hunters used their carcasses as a trophy.To meet Big Five animals I suggest you explore some parks in the northern circuit of Tanzania, including Tarangire a home of Elephants, Lake Manyara well known for the tree climbing lions, the soda ash lake and its flamingos, Ngorongoro Crater a home to good populations of Black Rhino, Lion, Buffalo and Hyena, Serengeti the best place to encounter Leopard, Lion and Zebra along with healthy herds of Wildebeest.

There are many countries in Africa in which you can see Big 5 animals, however Tanzania is the best.

LEOPARD

They are nocturnal animals, They often carry food into trees to avoid losing it to scavengers like lions and hyenas because of their climbing ability.

The leopard is the most elusive and secretive of the large felids and tend to have two or three cubs per gestation.

Leopards are solitary animals most men and females only break their solitude when they are raising cubs.

They are the  most intelligent, the most dangerous.

LION

Lion is the second largest cat in the world after the tiger? Despite their fearsome reputation, the lion is one of the many endangered.

Lions mostly live in Africa, however, there are also approximately 300-400 lions in a small region of India

 Male lion weighs 190kg , whereas a  female lioness weighs 130kg . Overall male lions are much bigger than lionesses, not just in weight, but in height and length too.

 A familiar or group of lions being called a ‘pride’, however, this is used for a group of fewer than 20 lionesses and their young. The term for a group of male lions is a ‘coalition’.

African lions have been admired throughout history for as symbols of courage and strength

ELEPHANT

Elephants are the largest mammal on land that are present in this present day and era, with the biggest on record with a weight of 11,000kg

Elephants have around 150,000 muscle units in their trunk. Their trunks are perhaps the most sensitive organ found in any mammal.

An elephant’s skin is 2.5cm thick in most places.  The folds and wrinkles in their skin can retain up to 10 times more water than flat skin does, which helps to cool them down.

The elephant's temporal lobe (the area of the brain associated with memory) is larger and denser than that of people - hence the saying 'elephants never forget'.

Elephant tusks never stop growing, so enormous tusks can be a sign of an old elephant. Both male and female African elephants grow tusks, but only male Asian elephants grow them.

Many Elephants are killed by humans for their ivory tusks.

CAPE BUFFALO

Buffalo live in groups called herds, and frequently feed on the grass.

Buffaloes are considered to be unexpectedly harmful if alone without a herd, and they have been proven to kill everything that comes in close to them.

he African or Cape Buffalo are not related to the slightly larger Wild Water Buffalo of Asia.The Cape Buffalo is the largest of the sub specie found in South and East Africa.

Buffalo have smooth tongues, Cape Buffalo have 4 times the strength of an Ox.

RHINO

Rhino are powerful animals can mature to weigh as many as 1,400kg and they mainly feed on leafy plants, however they also eat fruits, tree branches plus roots.

White and black rhinos are actually the same colour, Despite the names, both species of African rhino have a grey skin colour.

A group of rhinos is known as a herd, or a crash!

Rhinos communicate by doing a poo! Something a bit whiffy?! Rhinos use dung to share information with others nearby.

Only elephants are bigger than white rhinos White rhinos are the second-largest land mammal in the world.