The term "The Big 5" has nothing to do with the actual size of the animals. It has its roots in the early 20th century when trophy hunting was a popular activity across Africa by European hunters.
It was used to describe the five most difficult animals to hunt in Africa. These five animals were deemed very dangerous to hunt on foot, so successfully hunting them was considered a great feat for a trophy hunter to accomplish.
Today, the Big 5 also represent the 5 most sought-after animals on African safaris, be it by photographers or wildlife enthusiasts in general. They are all extremely majestic and charismatic creatures that are a joy to watch and inspire awe in people from all around the world.
The Big 5 animals are the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo.
Technically, there are two species of elephant in Africa - African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). There are also two species of rhino - black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).
In those early days, the two elephant species were considered one (African elephant). Some say the black rhino was the species that was originally on the big 5 list as it is the most aggressive of the two, but it's not clear if that was indeed the case or if both black and white rhino were considered part of the Big 5.
So, for simplicity's sake, we won't get caught up in the taxonomic specifics. We will simply use the terms "elephant" and "rhino" to refer to these animals in general without necessarily specifying the exact species involved. (If you're interested in specifics about where to see each unique species, feel free to contact us).
Rhinos were once common across Africa, but in the past century they were eradicated from most areas by poaching and trophy hunting. For this reason, many of the major wildlife reserves today have the other Big 5 members but the rhino is missing.
There are some places though where all the Big 5 animals can still be seen roaming wild in all their glory. Here is our pick of the top five wildlife safari destinations to see Africa's Big 5:
1. Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem, Kenya and Tanzania
The Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem in East Africa is over 30,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles) of extremely productive savanna.
It is considered the area with the highest density of large mammals on earth and is best known for the famous great migration of over a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra that happens cyclically every year. It also has the largest population of lions on earth, with over 3,000 known to live in this ecosystem.
The Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem comprises the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti in Tanzania, and several immediately surrounding reserves including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and its famous Ngorongoro Crater. Animals can move between these areas freely for the most part and it is considered one of the most intact ecosystems in the world.
Apart from the healthy lion population, there are also very good numbers of leopard, buffalo, and elephant. Rhinos are present in much smaller numbers than the rest and can be harder to find but your chances of seeing them are still good, especially if you have an experienced tour guide with you.
2. Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa
This area in the north-east of South Africa comprises the Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest parks, and several unfenced private wildlife reserves bordering the park that together make up the Greater Kruger National Park.
The Kruger National Park itself is 19,485 square km (7,523 square miles) while the neighboring private reserves add another 1,800 sq. km (695 q. miles). This adds up to a total of 21,285 sq. km (8,218 sq. miles).
This immense wildlife reserve is famous for the abundance and diversity of wildlife it contains and is globally regarded as one of Africa's best wildlife safari destinations. Lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos are all abundant in the Greater Kruger.
Despite rhinos being highly endangered due to poaching, this is an area where sightings of them are almost guaranteed if you spend a few days here on safari. In fact, South Africa has more rhinos than any other African country and a good number of them are in the Greater Kruger National Park.
The Greater Kruger is arguably the best place in the world to view leopards. Not only is the density of leopards here one of the highest globally, but many of the leopards are also very relaxed around vehicles and can be easily followed as they hunt, patrol territory, and go about their day.
3. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
At 14,650 square kilometers (5,656 square miles), Hwange National Park is the largest national park in Zimbabwe. It is also one of Africa's most incredible safari destinations. Not only is this area home to all the Big Five (including both black and white rhinos) but it supports one of Africa's largest elephant populations.
Hwange is also one of the very few places in the world where lions are known to hunt elephants (mainly during the dry season when the elephants are weakened by hunger).
Hwange's African wild dog population is also among the largest in Africa and there are good numbers of sable and roan antelope here as well. Located on the eastern fringes of the Kalahari Basin, it is also the only park in Zimbabwe where certain Kalahari specials such as brown hyena and gemsbok can be seen.
4. Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is the second-largest wetland in Africa after the Sudd Wetland of South Sudan. It is a vast 16,000 square kilometer (6,177 square mile) inland delta where the Okavango River fans out as it spills its floodwaters into the Kalahari Basin. This creates a lush oasis in an otherwise arid landscape and supports a spectacular abundance of wildlife.
The Okavango is famous for it massive lions that hunt buffalo in the floodwaters of the delta. Unlike other lions elsewhere, which generally avoid water, the lions in the Okavango readily enter the water in pursuit of prey and they are especially fond of the area's huge buffalo herds.
The elephant population here is also thriving. In fact, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, which the Okavango is a part of, is home to the largest population of elephants in Africa.
Rhino had historically declined dramatically due to poaching in the 20th Century, but their numbers have risen due to a series of translocations and new births in recent times (although the threat from poachers is not completely gone).
5. Mount Kenya Landscape, Kenya
The Mount Kenya Landscape includes Mount Kenya itself as well as the Laikipia Plateau and Lewa Downs at the foot of the mountain. This area has a rich diversity of habitats from montane forest and alpine moorland on the mountain to open savanna and semi-arid bush lower down, making the wildlife diversity here outstanding.
Although the Big 5 are present in Mount Kenya National Park, the thickness of the forest in the park makes them harder to see there. They are best viewed further down in the savannas of Laikipia or the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
Ol Pejeta, Ol Jogi, and Borana Conservancies are among the best conservancies to view the Big 5 in Laikipia. Ol Pejeta is home to the last known remaining members of the Northern White Rhino subspecies that was formerly widespread in north-central Africa, and the Mount Kenya Landscape overall is one of East Africa's rhino strongholds.
Laikipia Wilderness Camp has gained popularity over the past couple of years for the black (melanistic) leopards that can be seen there, most notably a famous female known as Giza who is very relaxed around vehicles and a favorite of wildlife photographers. This is one of the only places in Africa where black leopards can be seen with any regularity and reliability.
That wraps up our top 5 picks of the best wildlife safari destinations to see The Big 5 in Africa. We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it!
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